Offseason position preview: Quarterback

by: Connor Stanley01/20/26ConnorStanleyX

Editor’s note: Our off-season position preview series will highlight each position room and provide an early look into Louisville football in 2026.

The departure of four scholarship quarterbacks has led to a change in identity for Louisville. The Cardinals hit the transfer portal hard, bringing in two new QBs to pair with their highly touted freshman.

Head coach Jeff Brohm has a proven track record of developing signal callers. Next season will keep his streak alive of having a transfer at the top of the quarterback depth chart. The graduation of starter Miller Moss allowed him to give the keys to former Ohio State backup Lincoln Kienholz. That wasn’t enough, as backups Deuce Adams, Brady Allen, and Mason Mims all entered the portal looking for a new home, and Brohm found a new number two in West Georgia dual-threat Davin Wydner.

The only other scholarship quarterback on the 2026 roster will be true freshman Briggs Cherry. This turnover will take some getting used to for Cardinal fans, but it has a lot of potential.

2025 recap

Louisville finished 2025 with a 9-4 record and a bowl win. A team with college football playoff aspirations never hit its stride, maxing out its full potential.

Miller Moss came in from USC, filling the void that Tyler Shough left when drafted to the NFL. Moss had a rough touchdown-to-interception rate after being benched towards the end of the 2024 season, but performed to the best of his abilities this fall. Finishing with an 8-4 record, he helped Louisville secure another solid season.

At times, the Cardinals looked sloppy in the passing game and couldn’t build consistent drives when it mattered most. Louisville averaged 220.6 pass yards per game, ranking 75th in the nation and the lowest in the coach Brohm era. In the lone game Moss didn’t play, Adams and Allen saw action. Combining for 100 passing yards and zero touchdowns in a 38-6 loss to SMU, there was little potential shown in the future quarterback room.

Even with the passing game having a down year, the offense still ranked inside the top 50 for points per game. With a revamped passing game filled with new faces, there is reason to believe coach Brohm will get back on track, building a pro-level quarterback room.

New faces

Top to bottom, Louisville has found a new identity. Lincoln Kienholz, Davin Wydner, and Briggs Cherry make up a new and deeper quarterback room.

Kienholz was one of the first players the Cardinals contacted when the transfer portal opened up. They made quick work of him, securing a commitment moments after he visited campus. The former Ohio State backup spent three years behind future NFL draft picks, learning what it takes to become successful. Playing in Columbus alone means you showcased high upside in high school and deserve an opportunity in college. That opportunity never came for Kienholz, besides limited snaps in the final minutes of blowouts. Bringing dual-threat potential, he is extremely athletic and displays amazing pocket mobility. In six games last season, Kienholz finished with a 95 QBR.

One of the final portal commitments came from Kienholz’s presumed backup. Wydner is a former West Georgia star who presents a similar athleticism. With almost half of his play attempts coming on rushes, Wydner finished last season with 440 yards on the ground. Beginning his career at Ole Miss, he played the last couple of seasons at West Georgia. Standing at 6 feet 5, Louisville adds a similar dynamic to follow in the footsteps of Kienholz.

Cherry might be the youngest in this quarterback room, but he doesn’t play that way. Participating in the All-American game before arriving on campus in early January, Cherry was a four-star prospect at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He plays with swagger on the field that gives him the “it” factor. Competing at a nationally ranked high school team, Cherry didn’t throw an interception in the regular season last year.

The new faces will take time to get used to, but Louisville took the necessary actions to improve the most important position on the field.

Projection

With high potential comes a lack of experience in this quarterback room.

Kienholz has only completed 21 passes in his collegiate career, while Wydner and Cherry haven’t played a single snap at the FBS level. The coaching staff will need to work its magic to prepare these boys for a long season. Consistently ranking as a top passing offense in the ACC, Kienholz will have a majority of the responsibility.

Brohm doesn’t have a history of utilizing a quarterback with positive ground game athleticism. This season will be a testament to a changing offense as both Kienholz and Wydner perform well running outside the pocket. Scoring touchdowns on designed run plays during their respective careers, this quarterback room has the potential to have a one-two punch on the ground. Kienholz also displays an accurate arm on intermediate throws and has improved on his deep ball. The question is whether Louisville can adapt its pro-style offense to feature some dual-threat approaches.

It might take time for this passing offense to gain momentum, especially facing powerhouse Ole Miss on the road in week one. The Cardinals lost their top three wide receivers to the NFL draft, but are bringing in Vanderbilt transfer Tre Richardson, FSU transfer Lawayne McCoy, and Tulsa tight end Brody Foley. This turnover in the passing game is headlined by talented prospects who need to build chemistry early on. Luckily for Louisville, the Cards hold one of the strongest running back rooms in the country and will lean on it when the going gets tough.