Carson Hinzman settled in with Ohio State, ready for signing day
Ohio State football recruiting can be a wild ride full of twists and turns as recruits from all over the country maneuver their way to signing day. Lettermen Row is here to help navigate the tumultuous roads by getting to the heart of the matter with the young football players and Ohio State coaches and staff members themselves. Today’s guest is Carson Hinzman, one of the final pieces of the Buckeyes 2022 recruiting class.
COLUMBUS — When Carson Hinzman committed to Ohio State on Jan. 4, he thought the drama in his recruitment was over.
It was a back-and-forth battle between the Buckeyes and his home-state Wisconsin Badgers. Hinzman had grown up rooting for the Badgers, dreaming he’d one day play for them. His decision wasn’t easy but a late coaching change in Madison helped make the final choice.
“You want to make it to the next league, and people wanna see you play at the highest level. So that’s really important for me and to play for the fans there as well,” Hinzman said. “I told the coaches [on Monday]. I was just thinking about it for a really long time. Going to the All-American Bowl, I just felt it.
“Another big thing is coaches leaving and stuff like that at Wisconsin. Which is fine. That happens.”
The drama wasn’t over though.
Two days later Hinzman learned that Greg Studrawa wasn’t returning to the Buckeyes. Studrawa had been the lead recruiter for Hinzman for months. He was the coach that helped Carson Hinzman fully envision leaving Wisconsin for college. That was something he says he thought he’d never really consider.
“I never expected I’d actually be looking into schools besides Wisconsin,” Hinzman said. “Growing up a Badgers fan I was like ‘Man, I want to be at Wisconsin.’
“But the Buckeyes just spoke to me. I really loved hanging out with the guys, the guys there are awesome. Obviously the coaching staff is great and I love the culture there. It’s a really good opportunity.”
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The depth of that opportunity wasn’t lost on Hinzman even after Studrawa’s departure. New offensive line coach Justin Frye wasted no time getting in touch with the 6-foot-5, 265-pound interior lineman. Even if he hadn’t, Hinzman said he trusted the plan Ryan Day had for his program.
Now that he’s had some time to get to know Justin Frye, what’s the relationship with him like for Carson Hinzman? How important was it for him to spend time with fellow Ohio State commitments in San Antonio? What role did Notre Dame signee Billy Schrauth play in his decision to leave Wisconsin? How eager is he to sign his Letter of Intent on Wednesday?
The country’s No. 12-ranked interior offensive lineman talks about those things and more in the latest edition of Birminology from Lettermen Row.
Check out the video below or head to the Lettermen Row YouTube channel for more Buckeyes football, recruiting and basketball coverage.
