“Instead of memorizing words, I was memorizing pictures. I would say that is the number one reason why I became as good as I did at deciphering signals,” Connor Stalions said in his Netflix documentary. This is the man who is one of the most polarizing figures in college football and single-handedly tanked the reputation of a blueblood like Michigan. And yet, two years on, he still refuses to admit he was in the wrong. The No. 1 dissenters in this drama are obviously the Ohio State Buckeyes, who lead the charge of Stalions opponents. As Stalions and OSU continue facing off, another program now gets entangled in this whole drama.

It’s been two years since the sign-stealing scandal broke out, and Michigan is yet to receive a final judgment for Stalions’ actions. To this day, the former Michigan staffer is adamant that he did nothing wrong. In fact, he has no remorse. “I actually got the game ball for the Iowa game in ’22 for deciphering signals. I’m the only one that has one that says my name,” he says in his documentary, noting his achievements. Now, any time somebody reveals that they caught Michigan sign stealers in their games, Connor Stalions jumps up to defend himself. He did that with Sonny Dykes, and he’s doing it with Jack Sawyer.

Here’s what Sawyer said. “My sophomore year, we left the field, we were like, ‘This feels weird.’ We lost, I mean, by double digits, and it felt like we beat the shit out of them the whole game. We ran a screen pass that we had never put in, not the formation, not the look, anything. And like you see him on the sideline, they’re doing it. And we changed it, we audible or whatever and when we run it, (the whole) D line, as soon as the ball is snapped, the linebackers and everybody, they sniffed it out,” the Steelers DE told Not Just Football. OSU under Ryan Day is yet to beat that team up North. And that’s why, Stalions thought he needed to rub it in the wounds of his former (?) arch-nemesis.

“1. Jack is saying Ohio St never ran a Slot YY formation all year (pull up any of their games on YouTube and you’ll see them run that look). 2. Their signal for this play was: – The letter “Y” (TE in 99% of offenses) – The Delay of Game sign So “Y Delay.” Wonder what this will be 3. Jack is admitting they never ran it before. 4. Your head coach already admitted that you changed your signs for us,” Stalions said. He then went for a mic drop. “I’ll stop here. I’m at 4 bullet points. Maybe add a 5th in November,” he wrote in the end. This particular game was a nightmare for Ohio State, because Michigan absolutely dominated the game, finishing 45-23. A brutal fourth quarter (21-3) ended all hopes for OSU breaking the Wolverine curse.

Connor Stalions is gone, and OSU will face a shaky Michigan under Sherrone Moore this season. Beating Michigan remains the fans’ no. 1 expectation for Ryan Day. He’s given them a National title and two Big 10 titles. But a win over their scorned team is the one thing that keeps him from tasting true glory. Stalions, on the other hand, continues to bat for Michigan. Michigan is awaiting a final sentence from the NCAA, which will be coming anytime now. However, this scandal has now snowballed into a nightmare for the state of Michigan. What started in Ann Arbor is now knocking on the doors of in-state programs, too.

Connor Stalions’ saga now ropes in Central Michigan

The NCAA is now involving Central Michigan in this drama, having served the program with a Notice of Allegations in light of this scandal. All of this stems from the circulation of a photo. In it, we see a man in CMU staff gear, facial hair, sunglasses, and what looks like a recording device. We know who you’re suspecting, but the suspect in question denies it was him. “I don’t even think this guy looks like me,” Connor Stalions said earlier when this was brought out in the documentary. The NCAA, however, believes otherwise. This might be the only recorded instance of Stalions being caught in the act.

We know that he sent others with tickets to the opponent games. But this photo tells that Stalions attended the game himself, quashing the debate around his direct involvement with the matter. CMU has been embroiled in an investigation with the NCAA since the scandal broke out. Reportedly, the Chippewas staff provided “misleading information,” and also prevented access to resources from investigators. The NCAA is investigating CMU’s dealings with the Stalions’ presence during game day, which occurred in disguise.

The most interesting matter here is that CMU’s head coach for this game was Jim McElwain, Michigan’s former WR coach. He claims to have no idea who the “sign-stealer guy” is. But that’s not where Stalions’ reach ends. He also knew the Chippewas’ QB coach, Jake Kostener, who was with Michigan during the time Stalions was a graduate assistant. McElwain and Kostener both resigned in 2024. The former even signed a 3-year extension.

Will we truly see an end to the repercussions of the sign-stealing scandal? Because Connor Stalions will defend every attack that is launched at him. Despite being in clear violation of the NCAA’s laws, Connor Stalions refuses to cave. Even if Sonny Dykes and Jack Sawyer shed confirm Michigan’s not-so-sneaky operation, the former staffer is yet to bend. And in the meantime, other programs are bearing the brunt of his actions.