Four-star in-state OL Carson Hinzman getting ready to trim his lengthy list

Carson Hinzman knows he's going to have to trim his list of 20-plus offers down to a manageable number in the near future.

But the four-star in-state offensive lineman from St. Croix Central currently has a schedule loaded with school, basketball and contact with college coaches from across the country. Not to mention the responsibilities that come with living on the Hinzman's family farm.

"I was planning on releasing a list pretty soon," Hinzman said recently on the BadgerBlitz.com Podcast. "I’m not really a social media guy, but I do kind of need to start whittling it down a little bit. With time working against us it’s really hard to go out and visit 20 different campuses. I mean, 20 amazing opportunities, but I’m really going to have to start narrowing them down pretty soon so we can actually get out there and really get a chance to see them. I’m trying to think of a date, but I can’t really think of one. Some time soon we’ll get out a list and really start to focus on those certain schools."

"It’s been pretty difficult - there’s really no way to sugarcoat it. It’s been a little bit of a challenge just trying to narrow it down. Obviously a lot of people have their different ways of narrowing stuff down. But personally, for me, I always want to go there and at least be on campus and experience what the life is like to see that culture piece. It's a little bit harder to do that over a Zoom call. Just really hoping that everything starts to open back up here starting in April."

The No. 77 prospect in the 2022 class, Hinzman said the schools that were there early in the process, such as Iowa, Wisconsin and Notre Dame, will be in his recruitment until the very end. The Badgers and Hawkeyes were the first two programs to offer in the summer of 2019.

"Obviously they have a really good reputation for making incredible offensive linemen," Hinzman said. "They play hard-nosed football, which, even at my school, that’s all we do. I think we passed about 12 times total last season. That grit factor and that push and the drive - kind of playing with that family on the offensive line. You can really see that up here in the Midwest. A lot of those guys are going to go to the league real soon. That reputation piece - they just do it different and it’s kind of hard to explain. It’s really just a hard thing to pull away from.

"Still trying to weigh everything but I know for sure there’s a few schools that offered in the beginning, and those guys are amazing. Those are the kind of relationships that have grown the most just because they’ve been around the longest. Wisconsin, Iowa and Notre Dame have been phenomenal. So those schools will definitely be on there, along with Alabama. Those guys obviously have a great reputation and their recruiting is phenomenal. Those guys will be on there for sure."

Roughly 45 miles separates Hammond, Wis., from the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Despite that, Hinzman's town is loaded with Badgers fans who have made it clear where they want him to go for college.

"Over here in Wisconsin, everyone is usually a Badgers fan," Hinzman said. "If you’re not a Badger, you’re a Gopher. Living close to the (Twin) Cities, it’s pretty crazy to see that. I’d say about 85 or 90 percent of the people bleed red. It’s definitely a family aspect down there. Coach (Joe) Rudolph and Coach (Chris) Haering do an incredible job of recruiting, along with Coach (Paul) Chryst. I really love those guys with that family aspect as well. There are times when I’m hopping on a phone call with them, just talking about different aspects of life - about the campus and how guys act and the culture. Just kind of everything. That relationship piece has grown so much - it’s really just an awesome opportunity being that home-state team. It’s a lot of fun.

"It’s definitely a huge pull and a lot of people up here really have a strong opinion of where they’d like me to go. Obviously a lot of them would like me to stay home. It’s a tough decision we’re trying to make it through right now."

Hinzman, 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, has been able to visit each mentioned school with the exception of Alabama. Since last March, he, like other prospects in the 2021 and 2022 recruiting class, has been forced to go about the process online.

"We do a lot of diving in online just because you can’t get down there and look at it," Hinzman said. "So looking through academics and different courses you can take there, along with the other opportunities as well. You look at football and how they’ve been doing, stuff like that. Some opportunities come from where you least expect it. Along with that we do a lot of calls, Zoom calls and FaceTimes. For being what it is, I have to give props to all the recruiters. I think they’re doing a fantastic job of getting information out there and really having the student athlete learn about their campus.

"You have to give yourself that mental piece of, ‘where will I exceed most?’ Not only in football but being a student athlete because, obviously, the student comes first. That’s always a big one for me. You have to imagine yourself wearing those colors and you have to see if you can actually see yourself there. It’s tough but we’re making our way through it."

When Hinzman is ready to decide, he knows exactly what he's looking for in his future home.

"The must for me is that winning mentality," Hinzman said. "Obviously you don’t have to win every game but that culture piece is so important. I always tell people that my buddy was getting recruited by this one school and they didn’t have a great season, but they came out and said how it wasn’t really their fault because they were in a big conference. That was kind of the turning point for me in viewing schools. Even if you don’t have a great season you never want to blame it on someone else. You want to prepare and be ready for that next season, and you know you’re going to hit it hard.

"So that’s the biggest thing for me is that culture aspect, along with that family piece and feeling like those coaches and those people are going to push you towards the best opportunity. And at the end of the day they’re going to love you, and that’s the biggest thing for me."

Wisconsin currently has a commitment from three-star quarterback Myles Burkett in the 2022 class.