Former University of Michigan defensive analyst Connor Stalions, one of the most controversial figures in college football in recent years, sat down with “Crain & Company” for an in-depth interview on the program’s sign-stealing scandal.
An NCAA investigation into Michigan and its former head coach, Jim Harbaugh, allegedly centers on claims that Stalions sent scouts to future opponents’ games to record their play-calling signals. The Big Ten Conference suspended Harbaugh for three games during the 2023 season over the scandal, and Stalions stepped down from his position after he was also suspended. The NCAA has not revealed any information about how Stalions allegedly violated NCAA rules.
During his interview with the hosts of “Crain & Company” released on Tuesday, Stalions gave viewers a glimpse into how he cracked his opponents’ signals on the field, including those of Michigan’s biggest rival, Ohio State. While on offense, teams usually task their backup quarterbacks and graduate assistants with calling in plays by hand motions from the sideline. For most teams, a “live” signaler is calling the actual plays while two or three “dummy” signalers bluff to prevent the opponents from easily deciphering the call.
WATCH THE FULL CONNOR STALIONS INTERVIEW HERE
Stalions revealed that during the Michigan-Ohio State game in 2022, he quickly deciphered the Buckeyes’ live signaler.
“Ohio State didn’t change their live signaler in 2022 all season. The whole year,” he said.
“Including the game against Michigan?” asked a stunned David Cone, former Michigan quarterback and co-host of “Crain and Company.”
Stalions said that he and fellow staff member Denard Robinson quickly realized that Ohio State didn’t switch out their live signaler for the big game.
“You can call anyone from any Big Ten team when you trade signals during the week, and they all say the same thing: ‘Yeah, it’s the same guy,’” Stalions added. “Now, when you watch any game on TV, you can see … you can tell the whole time who’s live.”
Asked by host Jake Crain if Ohio State kept the same live signaler all season “out of arrogance or incompetence,” Stalions replied, “It might be a little bit of both. I don’t know.” The former Michigan staffer then said that he correctly predicted that Ohio State would swap out their live signaler for the second half.
“I said, ‘Hey, if there’s any time all year they’re going to change, it’s going to be this first drive or the second drive. And sure enough, I said, ‘If they’re going to change, it’s going to be that guy, the tall [graduate assistant] or whatever, and sure enough they switched,” he said.
Michigan went on to win that game 45–23, holding Ohio State to just three points in the second half.
“They changed their like route concepts going into that game,” Stalions said of Ohio State. “I don’t care what your route concepts are, right? If I can tell you’re going to run the ball or pass the ball … all I care about is the formation.”
Michigan won the national championship in 2024, capping off a perfect season. Between 2021 and 2023, Michigan had one of its best stretches in program history. The team posted a 40-3 record, winning three straight Big Ten championships and making three straight College Football Playoff appearances. After Stalions left the Michigan staff in the middle of the 2023 season, he went on to coach Belleville High School in Michigan as an offensive coordinator, helping the team win a state championship in 2024. At Belleville, Stalions also coached the number-one recruit in the country, quarterback Bryce Underwood, who switched his commitment from LSU to Michigan last year.
Some argue that the sign-stealing scandal surrounding Michigan should result in the program’s wins from the past few seasons and its 2024 national championship being vacated. Stalions, who joined the Michigan staff as a volunteer assistant in 2018, has maintained that sign stealing isn’t unusual in college football programs and doesn’t violate NCAA rules.
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Former University of Michigan defensive analyst Connor Stalions, one of the most controversial figures in college football in recent years, sat down with “Crain & Company” for an in-depth interview on the program’s sign-stealing scandal.
An NCAA investigation into Michigan and its former head coach, Jim Harbaugh, allegedly centers on claims that Stalions sent scouts to future opponents’ games to record their play-calling signals. The Big Ten Conference suspended Harbaugh for three games during the 2023 season over the scandal, and Stalions stepped down from his position after he was also suspended. The NCAA has not revealed any information about how Stalions allegedly violated NCAA rules.
During his interview with the hosts of “Crain & Company” released on Tuesday, Stalions gave viewers a glimpse into how he cracked his opponents’ signals on the field, including those of Michigan’s biggest rival, Ohio State. While on offense, teams usually task their backup quarterbacks and graduate assistants with calling in plays by hand motions from the sideline. For most teams, a “live” signaler is calling the actual plays while two or three “dummy” signalers bluff to prevent the opponents from easily deciphering the call.
WATCH THE FULL CONNOR STALIONS INTERVIEW HERE
Stalions revealed that during the Michigan-Ohio State game in 2022, he quickly deciphered the Buckeyes’ live signaler.
“Ohio State didn’t change their live signaler in 2022 all season. The whole year,” he said.
“Including the game against Michigan?” asked a stunned David Cone, former Michigan quarterback and co-host of “Crain and Company.”
Stalions said that he and fellow staff member Denard Robinson quickly realized that Ohio State didn’t switch out their live signaler for the big game.
“You can call anyone from any Big Ten team when you trade signals during the week, and they all say the same thing: ‘Yeah, it’s the same guy,’” Stalions added. “Now, when you watch any game on TV, you can see … you can tell the whole time who’s live.”
Asked by host Jake Crain if Ohio State kept the same live signaler all season “out of arrogance or incompetence,” Stalions replied, “It might be a little bit of both. I don’t know.” The former Michigan staffer then said that he correctly predicted that Ohio State would swap out their live signaler for the second half.
“I said, ‘Hey, if there’s any time all year they’re going to change, it’s going to be this first drive or the second drive. And sure enough, I said, ‘If they’re going to change, it’s going to be that guy, the tall [graduate assistant] or whatever, and sure enough they switched,” he said.
Michigan went on to win that game 45–23, holding Ohio State to just three points in the second half.
“They changed their like route concepts going into that game,” Stalions said of Ohio State. “I don’t care what your route concepts are, right? If I can tell you’re going to run the ball or pass the ball … all I care about is the formation.”
Michigan won the national championship in 2024, capping off a perfect season. Between 2021 and 2023, Michigan had one of its best stretches in program history. The team posted a 40-3 record, winning three straight Big Ten championships and making three straight College Football Playoff appearances. After Stalions left the Michigan staff in the middle of the 2023 season, he went on to coach Belleville High School in Michigan as an offensive coordinator, helping the team win a state championship in 2024. At Belleville, Stalions also coached the number-one recruit in the country, quarterback Bryce Underwood, who switched his commitment from LSU to Michigan last year.
Some argue that the sign-stealing scandal surrounding Michigan should result in the program’s wins from the past few seasons and its 2024 national championship being vacated. Stalions, who joined the Michigan staff as a volunteer assistant in 2018, has maintained that sign stealing isn’t unusual in college football programs and doesn’t violate NCAA rules.
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