It's good when a team's freshman quarterback takes early strides while riding the pines.
That's what Ohio State's Lincoln Kienholz did Thursday, getting his black stripe removed to "officially" become a Buckeye.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 28, 2023
Welcome the newest member to the Brotherhood, @LincolnKienholz pic.twitter.com/VQzFyYjED6
Kienholz was the second of two Ohio State players to shed his black stripe Thursday, joining a fellow freshman in defensive lineman Jason Moore.
A four-star recruit out of Pierre (South Dakota) T.F. Riggs, Kienholz was the 190th-best prospect in 2023 according to the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 15 quarterback. He was the highest-rated recruit out of South Dakota.
Kienholz was a multi-sport superstar at T.F. Riggs. Not only was he South Dakota's 11AA Player of the Year on the gridiron as a senior after amassing 3,422 passing yards and 46 touchdowns with 1,435 rushing yards, but he also batted .472 and posted a 1.24 ERA in baseball and earned first-team All-State honors his junior year on the basketball court.
He's the 14th Ohio State freshman to shed his black stripe and the fifth among freshman summer enrollees. Kienholz is also the first offensive player to get the helmet-darkener removed since the start of the regular season.
| Player | Pos | Date | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEGRA TSHABOLA | OT | MARCH 23 | R-FRESHMAN |
| GEORGE FITZPATRICK | OT | MARCH 23 | R-FRESHMAN |
| DAVISON IGBINOSUN | CB | MARCH 25 | SOPHOMORE |
| CARNELL TATE | WR | MARCH 25 | FRESHMAN |
| TRISTAN GEBBIA | QB | APRIL 1 | GRADUATE |
| QUINTON BURKE | OL | APRIL 1 | SENIOR |
| JELANI THRUMAN | TE | APRIL 7 | FRESHMAN |
| MALIK HARTFORD | S | APRIL 7 | FRESHMAN |
| CHASE BRECHT | RB | APRIL 7 | SOPHOMORE |
| CHAD RAY | QB | APRIL 12 | R-JUNIOR |
| VICTOR CUTLER JR. | C | AUG. 10 | GRADUATE |
| JOSH SIMMONS | OT | AUG. 10 | R-SOPHOMORE |
| LUKE MONTGOMERY | OT | AUG. 12 | FRESHMAN |
| TYWONE MALONE | DT | AUG. 12 | R-SOPHOMORE |
| BRYSON RODGERS | WR | AUG. 15 | FRESHMAN |
| JERMAINE MATHEWS JR. | CB | AUG. 15 | FRESHMAN |
| LORENZO STYLES JR. | CB | AUG. 16 | JUNIOR |
| DAVID ADOLPH | WR | AUG. 16 | R-FRESHMAN |
| NOAH ROGERS | WR | AUG. 19 | FRESHMAN |
| KAYDEN MCDONALD | DT | AUG. 19 | FRESHMAN |
| BRANDON INNISS | WR | AUG. 21 | FRESHMAN |
| JOSHUA PADILLA | OL | AUG. 21 | FRESHMAN |
| JA'HAD CARTER | S | AUG. 22 | SENIOR |
| ARVELL REESE | DE | AUG. 22 | FRESHMAN |
| AUSTIN SIEREVELD | OG | AUG. 23 | FRESHMAN |
| JOHN FERLMANN | LS | SEPT. 13 | R-SOPHOMORE |
| BRENTEN JONES | S | SEPT. 13 | SENIOR |
| JASON MOORE | DL | SEPT. 28 | FRESHMAN |
| LINCOLN KIENHOLZ | QB | SEPT. 28 | FRESHMAN |
