Notre Dame Checks Multiple Boxes For 2022 OL Carson Hinzman
There’s more than one thing about Notre Dame that captures Carson Hinzman’s attention, according to the top 2022 Wisconsin offensive lineman’s father.
“It’s multiple things,” Jon Hinzman says.
The school itself is one of the things that appeals to Hinzman, who currently has offers from schools like Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Penn State and Oregon among others.
“The size, it’s a smaller school as far as the student population,” his father says of Notre Dame. “The history of it, the connections and the relationships they have nationally as well as globally. Even more so, it seems like they have really, really great people in place.”
The Hinzmans were in South Bend for a game last fall, when he received his offer from the Irish, and were then back again a month later.
“We’ve been there a couple of times. Obviously, there’s more to learn like any school we’re fortunate to visit,” Jon Hinzman says. “But so far right now, it’s really good with the relationship piece and the connection piece.”
Hinzman planned on returning to South Bend in April before the NCAA instituted an extended dead period because of COVID-19 concerns. He isn’t too worried about the timeline of making trips.
“We’re still looking back and looking at what’s out there,” his father says. “When things open back up and coaches decide what can happen and when it can happen, we’ll sit back down and put things back on the board and say, ‘OK, what do you want to look at? What do you want to see?’ And just take the opportunities that come.
If and when he gets back to South Bend, it’ll be about getting a better feel for the people and the culture of the program.
“I think it’s just communicating with the other athletes, communicating with people who are in the trenches every day,” his father says.
“What do they feel? What do they see? What’s the real day-to-day like? That’s the biggest thing.”
Jon Hinzman played college basketball, so he understands the importance of feeling comfortable with the program.
“That’s the biggest thing, finding what that day-to-day grind is really like and how it fits who he is.”