Hinzman is taking on recruiting process with humility

Stanford offered Carson Hinzman July 15 and even though he has been receiving major college offers going back to last year he is still amazed each time it happens.

“I’m still in shock with all of it. I’m really just grateful to be part of any of it. I know guys who have worked incredibly hard and never got any recognition. To get this on this kind of scale is insane.”

Hinzman plays at St. Croix Central in Hammond, Wisconsin. It's a town of a couple thousand people that is closer to Minneapolis than Madison. Wisconsin, LSU, Alabama, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Michigan and others are all trying to convince Hinzman to play for them.

Hinzman has been talking with Kevin Carberry "off and on" for the past couple months but he was still surprised to get an offer.

“Obviously they’re a great program in athletics and academics. There isn’t a reason why I wouldn't want to keep in contact with people like that.

“I’ve learned a ton. It’s a great university and they really care for their players and want their players to succeed. They do a great job down there.”

Hinzman doesn't buy into the idea that just because he's from Wisconsin he's going to play in the Big 10. Historically it has been difficult for Stanford to get kids out of the traditional recruiting footprint of those schools and the folks in Madison do an excellent job of locking down in-state prospects.

He wants to keep an open mind and see places in person because he's heard that "when you visit you know if it’s your place" and that it could be anywhere from "Syracuse to Hawaii."

“Everyone loves flashy things, which is great and all, but for me it’s about putting your head down and grind through your work to win some championships with your buddies. That’s what makes it for me. That’s the culture we have at our school. We grind and grind and grind and have fun with what we do. That’s what I love to see in a program.”

Stanford recently "hosted" Hinzman on a virtual visit.

“It was awesome. They did a really great job explaining what Stanford is about and going through the campus a bit and what their plans are for the future. It was everything you could ask for and more.”