Wisconsin reaches out to in-state lineman Cody Ince

Cody Ince is tucked away at Unity High School in Balsam Lake, a school located about 90 miles away from Eau Claire with an enrollment of under 300 students.

But that hasn't slowed him down much on the recruiting front, as the 6-foot-6, 265-pound lineman now has three scholarship offers with a handful of other schools showing strong interest.

"Right now I'm hearing from South Dakota State, Central Michigan, North Dakota State, Iowa, Princeton, Dartmouth, Minnesota, Virginia, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois and Wyoming," Ince told BadgerBlitz.com. "As far as position, I would say 70 percent want me to play offensive tackle and 30 percent on the defensive line.

"I don't really have a position preference, I really like both. But I believe my best future is on the offensive line."

Ince's biggest scholarship opportunity to date came recently from Virginia, which prefers him on the offensive side of the ball.

"Virginia had some interest from the time I first talked to them," said Ince, who also has offers from Northern Illinois and Western Illinois. "They contacted me quite often and it was good to hear from them. One day after I talked to them they told me to call right before my baseball practice. They then talked about the school and offered me a full scholarship to the University of Virginia.

"It is a great offer and it's still early in the process, so I try to keep an open mind. But it is exciting to receive an offer from a Power 5 school that I have good interest in. They said I bring a tremendous amount of athletic ability and potential. I have lots of versatility and have potential to be great."

With the drive to Minnesota's campus just over an hour from Ince's home, the Gophers are another program to watch in his recruitment.

"This spring, I made several visits to Minnesota and a visit to North Dakota State," Ince said. "Both were very promising visits.

"With Minnesota, the feedback has been quite promising and I have been in contact with them for some time. I will be heading back soon. This summer I'm planning on camping at Minnesota and NDSU, for sure."

The question that Ince now receives frequently: Have you heard from Wisconsin?

"Yes, I have recently," Ince said. "They are coming up to see me in a couple weeks. I haven't heard much from them; it's been pretty minimal.

"Being an in-state guy, I grew up rooting for them and thought it would be a dream to be a Badger. Now it's starting to be reality."

Though early in the process, Wisconsin could be full on the offensive line with a commitment from Michael Furtney. At defensive end, the staff is looking for someone to pair with in-state junior Boyd Dietzen.

As a junior, Ince racked up over 100 tackles with six sacks and 15 tackles for loss.