Michigan has suspended football staffer Connor Stalions pending the conclusion of an NCAA investigation into sign-stealing allegations, announced athletic director Warde Manuel on Friday.
Stalions has been suspended with pay. He is a member of Michigan’s recruiting department specializing in analytics and is the main focus of the NCAA’s investigation into decoding opponents’ signals.
On Wednesday, the NCAA informed Michigan and the Big Ten about its investigation into possible rule violations related to in-person scouting of opponents. According to a source briefed on the allegations, Michigan is being accused of using a “vast network” to steal other teams’ signs.
In 2022, Stalions retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and joined Michigan’s football staff as an analyst. He had previously volunteered at Michigan in various roles and worked with the Navy football program from 2013 to 2016. Stalions’ recently deactivated LinkedIn bio mentioned that his military background is valuable in “identifying the opponent’s most likely course of action and most dangerous course of action” and “identifying and exploiting critical vulnerabilities.”
ESPN has identified Stalions as a “person of interest” in the NCAA investigation. An industry source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed that the NCAA is seeking information about Stalions’ methods for decoding opponents’ signals.
While sign-stealing is not illegal in college football, NCAA bylaw 11.6.1 prohibits “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season).”
Stalions’ reputation at Michigan
Since joining Michigan, Stalions has gained a reputation within the Wolverines program for his exceptional ability to decode opponents’ signals. According to a source involved with the program, Stalions is referred to as “a savant” and is highly skilled at figuring out opponents’ tendencies and distinguishing live signals from decoys. Those familiar with the Wolverines program say that decoding opponents’ signals is a point of pride for Stalions.
Coincidentally, the Wolverines also had a reputation within the conference for cracking opponents’ signaling systems.
“I think Michigan is really good at stealing your signals,” said a Big Ten running backs coach in an interview with The Athletic last fall. “They got our stuff early and they got us on both sides.” – Bruce Feldman, college football senior writer
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(Photo of Jim Harbaugh: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty)
