Michigan suspends football staffer Connor Stalions amid NCAA’s sign-stealing

Michigan has suspended football staffer Connor Stalions pending the conclusion of an NCAA investigation into sign-stealing allegations, athletic director Warde Manuel announced Friday.

Manuel said Stalions was suspended with pay. He is listed as a member of Michigan’s recruiting department specializing in analytics and is the staffer central to the NCAA’s investigation into decoding other teams’ signals.

The NCAA informed Michigan and the Big Ten on Wednesday that it was investigating Michigan for possible rules violations related to in-person scouting of opponents. One source who was briefed on the allegation said Michigan is being accused of using a “vast network” to steal opposing teams’ signs.

Stalions retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2022 and joined Michigan’s football staff as an analyst. He had previously volunteered at Michigan in various capacities and worked with the Navy football program from 2013 to 2016. In his recently deactivated LinkedIn bio, Stalions said his military background is useful in “identifying the opponent’s most likely course of action and most dangerous course of action” and “identifying and exploiting critical vulnerabilities.”

ESPN identified Stalions as a “person of interest” in the NCAA investigation, and an industry source briefed on the investigation confirmed the NCAA is seeking information about his methods for decoding other teams’ signals.

Sign-stealing isn’t illegal in college football, but NCAA bylaw 11.6.1 bans “off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season).”

Stalions’ reputation at Michigan

Stalions developed a rep inside the Wolverines program for his knack for decoding opponents’ signals since arriving back in Michigan. One source involved with the program described Stalions as “a savant” who was “exceptional in-game,” saying the Naval Academy product’s feel for such things is a real skill, where Stalions was adept at figuring out tendencies and knowing what is live, and what isn’t. Sources involved in the Wolverines program say decoding opponents’ signals is something the aspiring coach took great pride in.

Perhaps, not so coincidentally, the Wolverines also had a rep inside the conference for cracking opponents’ signaling systems.

“I think Michigan is really good at stealing your signals,” one Big Ten running backs coach told 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)