Ohio State is no stranger to heated quarterback battles, and the competition for the Buckeyes’ 2025 starting job is shaping up to be one of the most intense in recent memory, but there's a clear favorite.
With three talented quarterbacks in the mix—former Alabama transfer Julian Sayin, redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz, and highly touted freshman Tavien St. Clair—head coach Ryan Day has a tough decision to make.
Right now, the belief is that Sayin has the inside track to win the job. But that doesn’t mean Kienholz and St. Clair are completely out of the race. All three bring unique skill sets to the table, and spring practice will be the true determiner.
However, there’s one quarterback in particular who might have the most riding on this battle—Lincoln Kienholz. If he doesn’t win the starting job, he could be looking at a future outside of Ohio State.
Is the Transfer Portal in Lincoln Kienholz’s Future?
Fox Sports’ RJ Young recently floated the idea that Kienholz could explore a transfer if he doesn't win the job. While he has been in Columbus longer than Sayin and St. Clair, the reality is that he has a lot of ground to make up to end up the starter.
Now, Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Kienholz is in a true “now-or-never” situation.
“While redshirt freshman Julian Sayin has just as much to prove as Kienholz as they compete for Ohio State’s starting quarterback job this spring, it’s Kienholz who finds himself in a now-or-never position,” Hope said. “If the redshirt sophomore can’t beat out the one-year-younger Sayin and two-years-younger Tavien St. Clair this spring, he’ll face long odds of ever becoming Ohio State’s full-time starting quarterback.”
That’s a tough reality for any player to face, but it’s part of the game, especially now with the Transfer Portal and NIL.
To this point, Kienholz hasn’t had many opportunities to prove himself in live game action. He has attempted just 22 passes in his Buckeye career, completing 10 of them for 111 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Still, Ohio State clearly saw something in him when they recruited him, and the spring battle will be his best chance to make his case.
The big question, though: Will he be a big-time name to enter the portal during the spring window? If he is, we have a feeling he'll have quite the market for his services, even with his limited playing time.