Skull Session: Lincoln Kienholz Inks First NIL Deal With Tommy John, Emeka Egbuka Draws Curtis Samuel Comparison and C.J. Stroud is Confident in Ohio State's Next QB – Whoever It Is

By Chase Brown on August 18, 2023 at 5:00 am
Lincoln Kienholz
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

Ohio State met with Clint Bruce, a former Navy Special Warfare Officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy on Thursday, which I think is pretty darn cool.

Let's have a good Friday, shall we?

 WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES. As Kyle McCord and Devin Brown duke it out to become the Buckeyes' QB1 this season, freshman quarterback Lincoln Kienholz will develop behind them in 2023 before he, too, battles an Ohio State teammate (or teammates) for the most coveted position in college football sometime in the future.

Although that battle is set for sometime down the road, companies already want to invest in him now in hopes that one day he will be Ohio State's No. 1 quarterback. On Wednesday, Tommy John broke the seal, as Kienholz announced he had agreed to a name, image and likeness deal with the apparel company – the first NIL deal of his college career.

Tommy John co-founder Tom Patterson, a South Dakota native, told Jodi Schwan of SiouxFalls.Business he was impressed with Kienholz's three-sport career at T.F. Riggs High School, where the 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete received nine combined all-state honors in football, basketball and baseball.

“He’s a super humble kid, and I don’t think his success is a surprise," Patterson said. "Sometimes, I think talent in South Dakota is underestimated. People say he came out of nowhere, but I’ve been following him and always felt bigger things were ahead of him.”

Kienholz told Schwan he was honored to partner with Tommy John, a home-state brand he feels will teach him to believe in himself at Ohio State.

“Without any experience in the industry, Tom and Erin went out and overcame every obstacle to build an amazing brand and business," Kienholz said. "I’m inspired by that, by them and honored to partner with such an incredible brand like Tommy John and them believing in me and what I can do.”

Kienholz was the No. 190 player and No. 15 quarterback in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. However, I do not believe those rankings accurately reflect the kind of player Kienholz will develop into at Ohio State. This kid feels like he has all the potential in the world, and I – a smooth-brained Skull Session writer – am not the only person that believes that.

"Lincoln is a hard worker," said Tristan Gebbia, an Ohio State quarterback who will enter his seventh collegiate season in 2023. "He puts his head down and gets to work. I think he's picked up the system pretty fast. Smart kid. Very athletic – obliviously, that's a big draw to him. He's been improving daily, and I think he does a great job in the weight room. Guys are already starting to respect him. I am very excited for his future."

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Kienholz "will be a weapon for us" in his first season. McCord and Brown have been incredibly complimentary. I am sure quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis will rave about him the next time he talks to the media, too.

 WE ARE SPOILED. Someone commented on Thursday's Skull Session that I had included too much Marvin Harrison Jr. content in my articles this week. That commenter was correct. However, I only included that content because Harrison is featured all over the Internet! It's hard not to write about one of the best players in college football, after all.

Today, I will discuss another Ohio State wide receiver who is as good as they come: Emeka Egbuka, who makes ridiculous catches look routine.

While I believe Egbuka has a higher floor and ceiling than Samuel, I rock with the comp. Both players are weapons. They are explosive whenever the ball is in their hands. That's a great player to have on your favorite team. Ohio State has that kind of player plus Harrison, Julian Fleming, Xavier Johnson, Jayden Ballard, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss – you understand where I am headed.

We are spoiled, folks. Spoiled rotten.

 STROUD WEIGHS IN. As mentioned above, as of Aug. 18, Ohio State's quarterback competition between McCord and Brown remains a competition. On Monday, Day said he wants to see either McCord or Brown separate from the other sooner rather than later. To do that, they must make routine plays routinely and take care of the football in preseason camp.

On the outside looking in, it can be hard to discern who is ahead in the competition. Some days it seems like McCord's in the lead; other days, it looks like Brown. We don't know. We can't say.

But, hey, we can discuss it!

That's what Adam King of 10TV did on Thursday with a familiar face in former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, who shared his opinions on McCord, Brown and the battle that continues in Columbus: 

"Kyle is somebody who has waited his turn. He was a great help to me, so I think I helped him a lot as well with his confidence, staying ready and always preparing like a starter. If he gets the opportunity to be the starter, I think he is definitely gonna be ready. He is very accurate, very smart, mobile in the pocket and can make every throw on the field. Something I challenged him on was being a vocal leader, and I think that's something that  – talking to those boys now – that's something he's stepped up and done since I've stepped out of there. I'm super happy for him, and I know if he gets his opportunity, he's gonna take full advantage.

"Devin, being a young guy, he was my roommate last year in camp and during the season. I definitely think that he was groomed to be a great quarterback, not only in college but in the NFL as well. He's very athletic and can make every throw on the field as well. I think that the more experience he gets the better off that he will be, so practice is gonna be really big for him, stepping up to the plate and not worrying about making mistakes. I know Coach Day is coaching Devin hard, so accepting that coaching because I got that too. Doing what is asked of you and when it's time to make a play, go make a play."

When listening to Stroud speak about McCord and Brown, I found what he said helpful and knowledgeable. Still, a thought entered my brain: If Stroud returned to Ohio State for another season in 2023, as it was (wildly) rumored he could, the Buckeyes would have, like, -20000 odds to win the championship.

Alas, Stroud became a No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft and has started the next chapter of his life – and good on him for that. McCord or Brown will have to fill his shoes and win the championship anyway.

 MODEL OF CONSISTENCY. Ohio State is the most consistent program in all of college football. And it's not close, either. The last 35 years of the preseason AP poll have made that abundantly clear.

The Buckeyes have appeared in the preseason AP poll since 1988, 11 years longer than Oklahoma, 13 years longer than Georgia and 19 years longer than Alabama. Also, Michigan is nowhere to be found, so I can't deliver a number to you.

Ohio State's insane run of dominance has led to countless Big Ten championships and bowl games and five national championship appearances, where the Buckeyes won titles in 2002 and 2014.

Here's to many more years of dominance for The Men of the Scarlet and Gray.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Faith" by George Michael, the Billboard Top 100 song of 1988.

 CUT TO THE CHASE. A large ice chunk fell from the sky and damaged a house in Massachusetts... Survey shows most people want college athletes to be paid... People are freaking out about question mark seen in space... Looking into the next 50 years of hip-hop... It's not just humans: City life is stressful for coyotes, too.

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Prognosticating: Indiana

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Ryan Day
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