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4-star Ohio State QB signee Lincoln Kienholz betting on himself at the next level

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•12/22/22•

bykeeganpope

On3 image
(Courtesy of Lincoln Kienholz)

Pierre (S.D.) T.F. Riggs quarterback Lincoln Kienholz didn’t play against the highest competition at the high school level, but that didn’t stop him from amassing dozens of offers, including both Washington and Ohio State.

He committed to the Huskies over the summer, but the Buckeyes started ramping up their interest in him in October, and eventually brought him to campus for an official visit. He flipped his commitment earlier this month, and on Wednesday, he signed with the Buckeyes.

While some fans would question whether he was only going to Ohio State for an NIL deal, Kienholz is focused on another three-letter acronym: the NFL.

“I think Washington had better NIL than Ohio State,” he told MidcoSports. “I could go to Washington and get money or go to Ohio State, get developed and potentially reach my goal of going to the NFL.”

A big selling point for the Buckeyes was quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, who Kienholz connected with early in their conversations. Dennis told the four-star, who ranks as On3’s No. 8 quarterback in the 2023 class, that he needed to bet on himself and come compete with the best at Ohio State.

The timing of his commitment was also interesting. After Kienholz pledged on December 14, Ohio State’s 2024 quarterback commit — No. 1 overall prospect Dylan Raiola — announced his decommitment.

“I talked to Coach (Corey) Dennis a lot, and he said I need to bet on myself,” Kienholz continued. “And I think I kind of took that to heart. I think it kinds of shows that stars really don’t matter. And I’m really not saying this is the main reason, but then Dylan Raiola decommitted when I committed, so I think that’s huge.”

Lincoln Kienholz Scouting Summary

“Prolific, accurate passer with a strong multi-sport background and athletic profile. Has unverified height and weight – listed at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds but looks to be shorter. One of the best high school athletes to come out of South Dakota in recent memory. A two-time state champion quarterback and all-state performer in three sports – football, basketball and baseball. Among the more productive quarterbacks in the 2023 cycle. Passed for 3,359 yards and 37 touchdowns against 6 interceptions and rushed for 1,165 yards and 12 more scores as a junior. Off to an even faster start as a senior. Shows the ability to place the football into tight windows at multiple levels of the field.

… Downfield arm strength appears to be good, with throws on video that travel approximately 60 yards in the air. Can change his arm slot to fit throws in windows over the middle of the field. A loose, fluid mover in the pocket and as a runner. A true do-it-all player who also plays defense at times for his high school. One of the top high school basketball players in South Dakota, averaging 19.9 points per game as a junior, while showcasing above-the-rim bounce. Will see a considerable spike in competition at the college level relative to his other blue-chip peers. Is typically the best athlete on the field at the high school level. May need time to adjust to the increased speed of the game once in college and is more of a projection relative to other quarterbacks due to the competition he faces in South Dakota.”