Carson Hinzman commits to Ohio State over Wisconsin

COLUMBUS – Ohio State has picked up another Class of 2022 recruiting win: four-star offensive lineman Carson Hinzman has committed to the Buckeyes.

Hinzman’s decision came down to Ohio State and Wisconsin. After initially planning to commit and sign with one of the two programs during the early signing period in December, Hinzman elected to delay his decision.

Ultimately, the Buckeyes beat out the in-state Badgers for the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder as it took all the way until Monday – when he informed the coaching staffs of each program of his choice – for him to come to the decision that Ohio State is the right place for him.

“It was mostly just everything outside of football,” Hinzman told Lettermen Row on why he picked Ohio State. “I really think it’s gonna set me up for later in life with future goals. And, obviously, they have a very rich winning tradition so that’s pretty important. “

Hinzman also believes that choosing the Buckeyes gives him a more likely path to the NFL – especially after former Wisconsin offensive line coach Joe Rudolph left for Virginia Tech on Monday.

“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. But it was mostly that happening and then just overall getting a feeling for [Ohio State].”

The Saint Croix Central (Wisc.) prospect is ranked No. 120 overall and No. 11 at interior offensive lineman in the On3 Consensus rankings. He saw his Buckeyes recruitment come on strong toward the end of the summer and early fall.

Ohio State did not offer Hinzman until mid-June, but he was not affected by that decision. Buckeyes offensive line coach Greg Studrawa had been building a relationship with Hinzman for a while. But he told the Wisconsin four-star that he wanted to wait until they could meet in person before the offer came.

That occurred during Hinzman’s official visit over the weekend of June 11. That visit was a turning point for the athletic lineman to open his eyes to the Buckeyes’ vision for him.

Hinzman eventually followed that visit with an unofficial trip to Columbus for the Buckeyes’ game against Oregon in September. It was there when the relationship between the two sides grew further. Studrawa hammered home the benefit of him picking the Buckeyes.

“We had a good chat before and after the game,” Carson Hinzman told Lettermen Row following the visit. “We have a great relationship. I think we have a really good understanding for each other and if I ended up there that’d be a big part of the reason why.

“They’ve been reiterating the same message to me: we could benefit from each other if I was there. That’s all I can ask for.”

Hinzman had visited Wisconsin the week prior. He saw the Badgers lose to Penn State before he saw Ohio State fall to Oregon. The loss, though, didn’t take away from what Hinzman called an “insane” and “ecstatic” atmosphere.

Carson Hinzman then went into decision mode. The Buckeyes got the final call, and now they have a rounded-out offensive line class in 2022. He joins Tegra Tshabola, who will likely play guard, and offensive tackles George Fitzpatrick and Avery Henry.