Penn State football coach James Franklin invited Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson to speak to his team last week during a bye week.
Sanderson has guided the Penn State wrestlers to 11 NCAA team championships and 38 individual championships since being hired before the 2010 season.
“He’s come and spoken almost every year,” Franklin said Monday. “We’ll have different people from the campus and from the university come and speak during training camp and sometimes during the bye week.
“Obviously Cael has done a phenomenal job and is universally respected, not only across campus and in the community but I know with our team specifically and in our locker room.”
As a wrestler, the 45-year-old Sanderson won an Olympic gold medal and went 159-0 with four NCAA titles at Iowa State from 1999-2002. He’s the only wrestler in NCAA Division I history to go undefeated with at least 100 wins.
“He came this summer and I thought his message really resonated with our guys, so we brought him back to kind of double down on it,” Franklin said. “I think a lot of it is about being present and having appreciation.
“The other one is controlling the things that you can control and not inhaling or reading or listening to outside voices or words.”
Winston update: Franklin said he and assistant coach Anthony Poindexter visited Penn State safety KJ Winston last week at his home in Maryland.
Winston sustained an unspecified “long-term” injury against Bowling Green in the second game this season. Franklin was asked how Winston has contributed to the team since his injury.
“We are hoping for him to have a more significant impact in terms of leadership,” Franklin said, “but right now KJ’s focus is on getting healthy. He’s a huge part of our program and will continue to be a huge part of our program.
“Based on some of the things that he was working through from a health perspective, his focus was on that, rightfully so.”
Backups in backfield: Third-team running back Quinton Martin Jr. has played in three games and appears headed to burning his redshirt year, but Franklin said that isn’t a slam dunk.
Martin can play up to four games in the regular season without losing his freshman year of eligibility. The NCAA does not count postseason games when it comes to whether athletes burn a season of eligibility.
“At this stage we’re still trying to preserve it and have flexibility at the end of the year,” Franklin said.
Martin led Belle Vernon to the PIAA Class 3A championship last year. He has carried eight times for 25 yards and caught three passes for 18 yards. He’s been the No. 3 running back behind Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen since Cam Wallace suffered a season-ending injury against Kent State.
“If we green-light him, there are ways that we would take advantage of his skill set,” Franklin said. “The young man is doing everything right at this stage. I think there’s a ton of confidence in him. I think he has a ton of confidence in himself.”
If Penn State limits Martin to four games in the regular season, classmate Corey Smith might see action. Smith was rated a four-star recruit coming out of Catholic Memorial in Milwaukee.
“I actually think Corey is coming on as well,” Franklin said. “I could see us maybe even possibly having Corey as the third back here at some point.”
Ohio State game set: Penn State’s Nov. 2 home game against Ohio State will have a noon kickoff, it was announced Monday.
The Nittany Lions’ 40th meeting with the Buckeyes will be televised by FOX as part of its Big Noon package.
