Transcript: Jeff Brohm, Louisville Players at 2026 ACC Football Kickoff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - As part of the 2026 ACC Football Kickoff, the Louisville football program sent head coach Jeff Brohm, quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, offensive lineman Lance Robinson and defensive end Clev Lubin as their representatives.

Below is the transcript as part of their formal press conference:

Head Coach Jeff Brohm

JEFF BROHM: Good afternoon. Definitely looking forward to getting this season started. It's right around the corner, that time of the year, the summer, where people are ready for football to get going.

Right now I like our football team. I think they worked really hard, they prepared. We've tried to identify some things to work on this off-season that we have not been great at in the past couple years, and we're focusing on those. To this point, I like where we're at.

I think for us, we're one of a few teams that play 11 Power Four teams in our schedule. We're looking forward to that. We think that's what college football's all about. We open up with Ole Miss in Nashville on a Sunday night in game one, which will be a great test for our team to play a team that won 13 games, has a top quarterback coming back, a top running back. That will challenge our football team. Definitely what fans want to see, players and coaches want to prepare for.

I think we have a great conference. A lot of parity in our league. Without question, Miami did a tremendous job last year being one play away from winning the title. I definitely believe there's great parity in the league and you have to come ready to play, bring your best every week. We're looking forward to getting that going this season, and we're excited about our football team.

THE MODERATOR: Your first question...

Q. The Louisville Cardinals in your time there have had nine or more wins in each of the last three seasons. It's hard to sustain winning. What are some of those things you've implemented that have survived the test of change with players coming in and out? Why does Louisville continue to have success?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think you have to be willing to adapt and willing to change every year and try to improve your football team no matter what it takes, whether it's young freshmen, transfers, whether it's retaining a lot of players on your football team. You have to have enough knowledge in your coaching staff to identify that. You have to have the resources to go out and get the best team you possibly can.

From there, you've got to coach and build a team. You got to get guys that are hungry, that want to work, they're willing to compete. I think for us, we have had success in the past three years winning big football games. I think we know how to be aggressive and how we attack things. I think our players and coaches respond against good opponents and step up to the challenge, which is not easy to do.

At the same time, we've got to be able to be consistent every week and play to that level and win close games. That's always a great challenge. But when you play good football teams, you've got to win in the small areas and you've got to make more plays than they do and you have to coach well.

Q. What excites you the most about this team heading into the season?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think this team is hungry. I think we realize that we've come close in multiple years. I think we've been able to retain some key players and also add some great additions that are coming here with a purpose. They want to play football at the highest level.

For us, with the schedule we have, we have that opportunity to show what we're made of. When you play great opponents, you are normally going to work harder, prepare more, you're going to put in the work, build your team, you're going to bond as players.

But I think today's college football, anybody can win. If our players realize that every week, if you do all the small things, really put in the work, that you can find a way to win and just continue to do that every week, then great things can happen.

At the same time, you have to be willing to handle the struggles, the obstacles, losses that can happen along the way, come back and be even stronger.

I like our team. I think we have good players. I think we realize some of the areas we need to get better at. We've just got to go about getting that done.

Q. This off-season y'all bring in sort of a splash hire with Coach Paul Petrino, the offensive coordinator from South Alabama. How involved will he be on a week-to-week game plan basis?

JEFF BROHM: I like our coaching staff. We have quite a few coaches back that have done a great job for us. We've added some new pieces at well with Coach Paul Petrino. We have history. He loves football, loves to compete, wants to win. He's familiar with our football team. He has a son there coaching with us as well, helps us with our receivers, Mason Petrino.

Paul has a ton of experience. He knows our system, our offense. He knows how to get players to work hard. He has a ton of experience. I expect him to do great things.

He'll be working with our tight ends, and we're excited to have him on board.

Q. Over the past you've seemingly taken experienced transfers at the quarterback position, so what impresses you about Lincoln Kienholz?

JEFF BROHM: We're really excited about Lincoln. I think when you look for quarterback play, you look for guys, in my opinion, that are hungry first, that are willing to put in the work.

When we studied Lincoln, we liked what we saw on video. He was highly recruited. He went to a good program. He had to sit for some years. That's not a lot of fun doing that. At the same time, you learn. Sometimes it's good for you.

But I think he knows it's his time now to step up and show what he can do. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to go somewhere and get on the field and showcase what he's all about.

I think he brings us some dimensions and skills that we have not had before. He's a great athlete. He can run. He can extend plays. He can throw on the run. And he enjoys doing that.

For us, continuing to improve his play in the pocket, his ability to throw the ball vertically, throw with pressure in your face is something we always work on with quarterbacks. We'll continue to do that with him.

He has all the skills, the traits you're looking for. He's a great teammate. I think he's ready for this challenge.

Q. You mentioned that the ACC is super talented. What would your message be to naysayers that say that the ACC can't compete with the SEC or the Big Ten?

JEFF BROHM: Well, I think the proof is in the pudding. The ACC plays more Power Four opponents than anyone in the country. I don't think we're scared to play anybody. I think our record against those conferences last year was above .500. I don't remember exactly what it was. I think our record in bowl games against those opponents was above .500.

I think we have great parity. If you're asking me, I would love for everyone to play 11 Power Four teams, other conferences to play each other in the Power Four, two every year, just so that you see it on the field.

But there are great coaches in our league. There's really great talent. There's talented quarterbacks. There's really good players.

I think, of course, playing each other is important, and I think the first week we've got a couple interconference games that you'll see LSU and Clemson match up, us and Ole Miss. That's kind of the proof in the pudding.

But I like our conference. There's great parity and there's really good football teams.

Q. You mentioned the Ole Miss game. What goes into preparing for an opener like Ole Miss compared to FCS opponents in the years past?

JEFF BROHM: There's a lot that goes into it. Originally we were scheduled to play a non-Power Four team. We made that adjustment. We've added Ole Miss.

I just think it's a great challenge. What goes into it is you got to prepare, you've got to get ready to go, step up game one. There can't be no easing into the season. You have to bring your best.

With Ole Miss, hats off to them winning 13 games, going to the semifinals, barely losing, not going to the championship game. It was a great run for them. They had a quarterback who stepped up and played tremendous. He's back. They had a running back who was outstanding. He's back. A lot of our great talent around them. Some very good coaches.

For us, our team knows, hey, right off the bat, we've got to play good football. It helps you prepare in the off-season, in the summer. Hopefully we have a great fall camp, but we're looking forward to the challenge.

Q. Back-to-back-to-back nine-win-or-more seasons is fantastic. The conference record declining has dimmed that light. How do you get back on track, defeating your conference opponents and putting your team in a position to play for a championship?

JEFF BROHM: Well, without question, you want to play as well as you can in the conference. We did, we lost some close games. You have to find a way to win those. Do I think they were good opponents? Yeah, they were. At the same time, those are games that you need to find a way to win. We're going to work hard at that.

To me, you have to bring your best and play good football. For us, I think there's great parity. Every week you have to play good football or you're not going to win. I think our players understand that. I think we've identified some things we did not do well in those games that maybe could have helped us win.

But when you look at it, we've won some close games, too. I think every week in college football for the most part you have to play your best football to win. Hopefully we can work hard to be as consistent as we possibly can be.

Q. Isaac Brown had some injuries. What goes into maybe making sure he's ready and not risking injury?

JEFF BROHM: Well, we're going to protect him well in camp. He is a great talent, a dynamic player. He can score at any time, take it the distance. He's done a great job for us.

When we've had him, we won a lot of games. When we lost him, we did lose a few. We have to make sure we've got a good plan ready. We've got to be, in my opinion, better at throwing the ball vertically up the field, off of play-action. Those are things we got to work hard at.

We have to utilize all our players, make sure we're not relying on one.

Isaac has proven his durability. Working hard in the off-season was a goal of his. He's done an excellent job to this point. Yes, we have to make sure we manage him throughout camp and get him his reps and hope that he continues to improve.

Yes, it's important he's healthy in every game, and it's important that we do a good job as coaches of being smart and really taking care of that assessment.

But we've got a good running back room. Isaac Brown, you have seen him make a lot of plays. Keyjuan Brown has done some good things. We took Marquise Davis, a transfer from Missouri that's a really good player. We've got Braxton Jennings back, who stepped in the last game of the year against Kentucky and did a really good job.

That's a good room. We know we can run the football. We have to make sure that we find ways to score more points and be more explosive.

QB Lincoln Kienholz

Q. Lincoln, coming from Ohio State, obviously you have to find the right fit for you, what was it about Louisville, this entire program, that made you feel like you could step in and do what Coach said, get the ball up the field, be more positive? Why are you the guy?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: Yeah, I think just the initial phone calls with Coach Brohm and the other coaches. I think just that belief that he had in me was something that kind of stuck with me.

Then just the opportunity, the guys that they had here. Had Tyler, Jack, Miller, people like that who had a lot of success in college.

Coach Brohm has put quarterbacks in the NFL. That's something that I took into account when making my decision.

Q. Speaking about your tenure at Ohio State, what is one thing you learned from being in that quarterback room?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: Yeah, I'd say just the leadership, the time that they put in, just trying to be perfect in every aspect. I think that's something that they pushed on themselves and also coaches pushed on the quarterback room in general, just try to be perfect with every single aspect of the game.

I feel like just the past three years, learning from those guys, I think is going to help me this year, so...

Q. South Dakota's all-time leading passer in high school. How did it feel breaking that record? What does that say about your potential in this offense?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: It was cool. Having it happen like the sixth game of my senior year, it was pretty cool. The guy that I beat out for the record, we actually were playing his alma mater. It was pretty cool.

But yeah, I think having that success in high school, just knowing what it's about, knowing how to do it, having success at Ohio State, I was a backup, but just being able to see the leadership and just the team chemistry in order to go out and win a national championship. I think that's important, so...

Q. What is it like working with Jeff and Brian on a daily basis?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: It's awesome. I think probably the past couple months, the amount of film that we got to watch together, I think it's super important. Just being able to dive in through his offense and everything like that, just to try to get ready for Saturday so I can go out and play fast.

Q. Your younger brother is a multi-sport athlete; your sister, a volleyball athlete, plays basketball. I would imagine growing up in your house was competitive?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: Always competitive, yes, sir. I feel like it was always a battle between me and my dad, always going one-on-one in basketball, always trying to see who's better.

When it comes to my younger brother, it's always me trying to beat up on him, always trying to beat him, too, so...

Q. I feel like every offensive newcomer gets asked about Jeff Brohm's playbook. How have you been digesting that?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: It's definitely came along since the winter and the spring. It's starting to be like a second language at this point where I take time throughout the night, go through, just reading my notes, then coming in every single day, just throwing on a game and watch film on that, too.

I feel like the more that I hear the verbiage and the language is going to help me out, so...

Q. Louisville has a tendency of developing quarterbacks in the past. Obviously you have a coach that played the position. How do you like the idea that they've had a history of developing quarterbacks in the back?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: Yes, I think, like I said earlier, that was a big decision on even why I came here, was just the history, just how well that Coach Brohm does with quarterbacks. I think that's something that is going to help me out for years to come, so...

Q. You've been a scholar-athlete for the past three years. What have your parents taught you about integrating that academic component with athletics?

LINCOLN KIENHOLZ: Yeah, I mean, I think just how you do one thing is how you do everything. That's something my mom and dad have, I guess, put into my head. Just trying to be the best version of yourself each and every day. School, football, being a friend, being a brother, just different things like that, so...

DE Clev Lubin

Q. Clev, you worked your way around and up to a Power Four level. Coach just mentioned I like where we are and who we have. What do you like about yourself heading into year two?

CLEV LUBIN: Everything. I mean, I know the time I've put in. I know the things I developed through my college career, the places I've been. I've continued to grow, continue to be around the right group of people. I've developed a better leader, a better player, just a better teammate.

Q. You had an opportunity to go to the NFL Draft last year, but you chose to come back. What was the reason why?

CLEV LUBIN: Definitely just another opportunity to go out, leave college football, hopefully ACC championship, make a big run in the playoffs. That's the ultimate goal. Just bring everybody with me. You know what I mean? Just continue to be a person when I walk into the NFL locker room that I can be a leader, I can be comfortable around new people and adjust to the schemes of playing at the higher level.

Q. Clev, being from the state of New York, it doesn't always get the love that it deserves. What can you say about New York talent and putting it on the map?

CLEV LUBIN: It's definitely a great thing. For me, like where I went to high school, wasn't many people that always got recruited. Just being able to stay home at my public school, go through the journey I've been through from going to Army to junior college, now being able to play at a Power Four level in this conference, play against the best teams.

Like Coach Brohm said earlier, he wants us to play the best teams. That's something you can appreciate as a player, knowing your coach is going to go out there, schedule the hardest games, make sure you have a real chance to be in that position to be in the playoffs, be in the ACC championship, because he's putting in a situation where you can play those games and prove who you are as a person and as a program.

Q. You spent some time at the United States Military Academy Prep School. How has your time around West Point and Army helped you grow?

CLEV LUBIN: I feel like that's a big backbone of who I am, just being around those type of people, being around some of the greatest leaders in America, you learn different leadership skills, you learn what to do, what not to do.

I feel like that helped develop me, the discipline, because all the hard things you got to do, waking up early, going through long days. Just doing it repetitively over and over again has built me to build good habits, be a better leader and encourage my teammates in an effective and positive light.

Q. You talk about being a leader. What is a goal you have for the defense as a whole this year?

CLEV LUBIN: Just being the reason we win games. You know what I mean? No matter what's going on on the other side of the ball, let everyone know you can trust in us, believe in us. We're going to go out there whether it's a quick turnover, a three-and-out, or whether on the field for a whole quarter. You know what I mean?

Just being able to continue to be there as a unit, as a team, as a program. When you look at the great teams, whether it's Super Bowl championships, college football, all the great teams have great D-linemen, all the great teams have great offensive linemen.

So setting that tone in practice between those two groups and making sure that's the standing point that strengthens our team.

Q. In high school you averaged 21.6 points and 11.4 rebounds in basketball.

CLEV LUBIN: Told y'all I was (indiscernible). Told y'all. Thought it was a joke (laughter).

Q. Why didn't you stick with basketball?

CLEV LUBIN: I'm going to tell the honest truth, I can't shoot for a lick (laughter). I can get to the rim and I can score. I played hard, all that stuff. I wasn't going to play no DI basketball. I couldn't shoot a three if my life depended on it.

I was a pretty decent basketball player if I do say so myself (smiling).

Q. Kemari was talking about your relationship. He played a big part in you getting to Iowa Western. What was that playing against him last year?

CLEV LUBIN: It's a blessing, knowing the things we went through. Me and Kemari went to prep together, then spent time in the academy. He was ultimately the reason I attended Iowa Western. He went earlier in the spring. That relationship has helped us grow.

I know the whole time at Iowa Western, I pushed him to be the best version he could be because I knew where he wanted to go. I could say vice versa. Last year being able to play each other, this year both of us having an opportunity to be here and representing the programs we play for, it just shows a lot of growth.

Where we've been, we were both guys that felt underrecruited coming out of high school. We did the whole journey. Now to be here, it's a blessing. It means a lot to both of us. Being able to see him, take pictures, speak about the moment, it means a lot.

OL Lance Robinson

Q. A lot of new faces on the offensive line this year, along with a new offensive line coach, Dale Williams. How difficult has that transition been? How is the gelling process going so far?

LANCE ROBINSON: Yeah, I can truly say the process hasn't been difficult at all. I commend those guys up front that have come in. They really bought into the program. I took it upon myself to keep the standard the same, keep us as a hard-working group, a physical group.

It's been a smooth, seamless transition. Coach Williams, I'm familiar with him from the 2023 campaign. Just a familiar face. He's done a great job implementing some of his techniques and some of his philosophies in the offensive line room. I can't wait to see the product that we put on the field this season.

Q. You played throughout the offensive line. Can you talk about the importance of that versatility when there's so many moving parts in that room.

LANCE ROBINSON: Yes, as everyone knows, of course it's a long season. Things like injuries happen. Different people move around and shift all the time. Being able to play all five positions on the offensive line, that's a big piece on any team, just knowing that you have a guy that can always go in a spot that you have a need at. I take that as a real big responsibility every week, knowing that I can potentially go play somewhere else along the offensive line.

I'm always prepared. I always prepare myself for every position. I take it as a good thing, for sure.

Q. You spoke about Dale Williams coming in as the offensive line coach. In his scheming, leadership, how he goes about his business, what you like about his style and the way he brings everything together.

LANCE ROBINSON: Yeah, man, Coach Williams, he's an older guy, laid-back guy. He's a real stickler on details. He's kind of big on simplifying the game for us, making it easy for us so we can play fast, play physical, dominate the line of scrimmage. That's a big real thing with him. He wants to see you put the opposing defender on his back. Just instilling that mentality, having us ready to go, dominate every rep.

Q. You talked about keeping the standard high for the offensive line, even with the new transfers coming in. What message do you want to send to the running backs and to Lincoln about how you're going to make life easier for them?

LANCE ROBINSON: Well, Isaac and Lincoln, I want them to know genuinely from my heart, they have nothing to worry about. You have a group of protectors on the field that's ready to lay their life on the line that's really front line about what's going on in the Louisville football program.

Every single offensive lineman that will take a snap on the field this year is willing to go out and leave it all out on the field. Extreme amounts of energy, being physical, flying around, being dominant, being violent. It's going to be fun. They have nothing to worry about, for sure.

Q. You've been around the program for a few years. What is it going to take to get over the hump to get back to the ACC championship, potentially College Football Playoff?

LANCE ROBINSON: I think a big thing is we have a lot of selfless guys on the team this year. We have a lot of guys that are truly bought into what Coach Brohm is doing. We have a lot of believers on the team that believe in the philosophies that go around the program.

We've obviously been close in the past couple seasons. Getting over that particular hump, I would say, finishing every game, that's been the big thing. Coming out, starting fast. We have a big contest the first week. Start fast and set the tone for the whole season.

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Head Coach Jeff Brohm

QB Lincoln Kienholz

DE Clev Lubin

OL Lance Robinson

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