Who is Penn State Wrestling's first NIL director? The pick is in

Penn State wrestling has picked its first name, image, and likeness director. Head coach Cael Sanderson is hiring former Nittany Lion Clay Steadman to fill a role that is sure to be created by other programs across the country in the months and years to come.

Steadman came to Penn State a couple of years before Sanderson did. The General McClane alum made the move from the Erie area to State College ahead of the 2007-2008 season and was a one-time Big Ten qualifier. His career ended when an injury caused him to miss all of the 2010-2011 season. Also a former color commentator on Penn State wrestling radio broadcast, he is now returning to the program in a full-time capacity.

Steadman will be tasked with various things. Those include helping with recruiting, providing “administrative support for NIL fundraising and educational efforts,” building relationships with potential donors, tracking “all incoming NIL gifts, pledges, and donations from supporters of Penn State wrestling,” and ensuring compliance rules are followed. Other responsibilities are sure to be a part of the job, as well. With the college athletics world ever-changing, Steadman will ensure that the Lions continue to stay at the forefront of all of the changes off the mat while head coach Cael Sanderson and co., continue to produce national championship individuals and teams on it.

More on Clay Steadman

After leaving Penn State, Steadman has worked in numerous finance-related roles. He was at Siemens Healthineers for 10 years and leaves Strategic Account Director role at Phillips to re-join the Nittany Lions.

“I am thrilled to join the Penn State Wrestling Staff and help our team achieve their goals,” Steadman wrote on LinkedIn. “At Philips, my focus has been on driving innovative healthcare solutions that resonate with our strategic accounts. My expertise in informatics, patient monitoring, and data analytics has enabled the forging of partnerships that transform clinical outcomes. With a strong leadership background, I’ve steered teams towards nurturing key relationships and expanding our influence in the health systems sector and beyond.”

Penn State wrestling 2024-2025 outlook

Many questions linger about the Penn State wrestling lineup in 2024-2025. Braeden Davis, last year’s starter at 125 pounds, is bulking up for what appears to be a move to 133 pounds. Will he knock returning starter Aaron Nagao out of that slot in the process? And is Nagao healthy after suffering an injury at U23 Nationals? Time will tell.

At 149, will Shayne Van Ness be back from injury to reclaim the weight he was an All-American at? Is Levi Haines moving up to 165 pounds and Mitchell Mesenbrink down to 157? Where will Carter Starocci compete after signaling an intent to move up from 174 pounds? And will any freshman, like Luke Lilledahl at 125 pounds, for example, crack the starting lineup? Those are just some of the questions facing head coach Sanderson and his staff this summer.

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