Louisville football should include Davin Wydner in quarterback battle

• Davin Wydner turned in a strong performance during Louisville football's spring game Friday at L&N Stadium.
• The West Georgia transfer finished 10-of-12 for 194 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Cardinals' offense earn a victory.
• Lincoln Kienholz is still expected to start for UofL this season, but Jeff Brohm at least has a dynamic backup at his disposal.

If there’s not a quarterback battle to become Louisville’s starter when fall camp rolls around, perhaps there should be.

The Cardinals’ spring football game on Friday played out in a format that pitted the offense (white jerseys) versus the defense (red jerseys). And while Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz started at quarterback with the first unit, West Georgia transfer Davin Wydner looked better running the second string as the White team won the scrimmage 43-24.

Wydner made the two cleanest long throws of the night, first connecting with Gavin Waddell for a 77-yard touchdown. Then he hit Florida State transfer Lawayne McCoy in stride for a 40-yard score. Those were the only two passing touchdowns in the first half.

The process of a transfer quarterback getting in sync with a transfer receiver is more difficult than it looked on that play. McCoy said players understand that, with the transfer portal the way it is in college football, players have to get acquainted on the fly.

"You play with one quarterback, you transfer, you play with another quarterback," McCoy said. "It's just about the timing, watching film and building the chemistry."

Wydner seemed like he's on the fast track. He finished 10-of-12 passing for 194 yards, which was an impressive performance considering the backup quarterbacks for three seasons under UofL coach Jeff Brohm have factored so little that their jerseys may as well have had “Anonymous” on the back.

Deuce Adams was the only backup in the past three seasons to be forced into action in a game that mattered. Adams started for an injured Miller Moss last season in the Cards’ 38-6 loss at SMU. Besides that, Tyler Shough started every game in 2024 and Jack Plummer made every start in 2023.

Brohm really didn’t have much of an option to replace Plummer or Moss when they struggled at times during their respective lone seasons at UofL. He may have found just that in Wydner.

To be clear, there is no quarterback battle as of now.

Brohm said Kienholz wasn't given enough opportunities in the game plan to throw down the field. It also didn't help that Vanderbilt receiver Tre Richardson, who will potentially become the top receiver target for Kienholz, did not play while healing up from a bone spur.

Kienholz led the offense to just one touchdown drive, finishing 10-of-16 for 91 yards with a long pass of 19 yards.

"We've got to polish the pocket stuff, but we also have to do what he does best as well once he gets to game time," Brohm said.

Brohm said his staff knows what the 6-foot-2 junior does well. On the first play of the scrimmage, Kienholz ran for 13 yards on a designed keeper — something the Cards have rarely done the past three seasons.

What they've never done is gone to a backup to jump-start the offense. Brohm at least should have that option in the coming season.

Wydner began his career at Mississippi but did not see any playing time in two seasons, which led him to transfer down to NCAA Division II West Georgia to get playing experience. He started the better part of two seasons at West Georgia.

"He's a big strong quarterback, he can throw from the pocket, he's more athletic than you think with his size," said Brohm of the 6-foot-5 Wydner.

Wydner has the traits to max out Brohm's offense in a way that the playbook doesn't have to be limited should his number be called. At the least, his readiness means Kienholz can't get complacent now that the Cards finally look like they have a legitimate backup option.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.