2023 South Dakota QB Lincoln Kienholz Signs With Ohio State

On Dec 21, 2022

KIENHOLZ PROFILE

Hometown: Pierre, S.D.

High School: T.F. Riggs

Size: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds

Composite Ranking: ★★★★

Commitment Date: Dec. 14, 2022

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Recruitment Recap: Although Ohio State held a commitment at the time from Tennessee four-star quarterback Brock Glenn, quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis made the trip to South Dakota to watch Lincoln Kienholz play during the Buckeyes’ open week in October.

A few weeks later, Glenn flipped his pledge to Florida State in a mutual decision between the program to go in different directions, with Dennis and head coach Ryan Day zeroing in on Kienholz as their top target at the position moving forward.

Kienholz made his way to campus for an official visit for Ohio State’s loss to Michigan on the weekend of Nov. 26. He then had a decision to make: stick with his commitment to Washington – the school he picked in late June – or flip his pledge to the Buckeyes.

The Huskies made one last-ditch effort to keep Kienholz in the fold with an in-home visit earlier this month. The allure of playing for Ohio State was ultimately too much to overcome, though, so he made the decision many expected once the Buckeyes got involved.

Evaluation: “Simply put, Kienholz is an all-around athlete who excels no matter what position or sport he’s playing, and it’s not going out on a limb to say that Day and Dennis have uncovered a gem hidden in the plains of South Dakota.

“Like freshman quarterback Devin Brown, Kienholz’s arm strength, dual-threat abilities and experience in a spread offense will help with his transition to college. However, the level of competition he faced in high school wasn’t exactly the greatest, and his first year on campus should be viewed as an adjustment period.”