In a lengthy text exchange in 2021, Connor Stalions of the Michigan football program said that he “stole opponent signals” from televisions, had close relations with the team's' “whole staff” and had a vision for the Wolverines' future, according to Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated.

Connor Stalions is at the center of the investigation to the Michigan football program, which has head coach Jim Harbaugh under fire. Stalions claimed he was close with current linebackers coach Chris Partridge and running backs coach and assistant special teams coach Jay Harbaugh, the son of Jim Harbaugh.

Stalions said that he stole signals via TV copy before covid and stood near former offensive coordinator Josh Gattis during games to tell him what was coming. Josh Gattis is now at Maryland.

“Pre-covid, stole opponent signals during the week watching tv copies then flew to the game and stood next to [then Michigan offensive coordinator Josh] Gattis and toldhim what coverage/pressure he was gettin,” Stalions said, according to Johnson.

The texts are part of a lengthy back-and-forth in January and February of 2021 between Stalions and a student at a Power 5 school who was looking to break into the college football industry.

Deciphering signs from TV copy is not against the rules. Stalions is now suspended from the Michigan football program. There have been accusations of him orchestrating a scheme to place unnamed associates of his in stadiums of Michigan's opponents to scout and in some cases film opposing coaches' signals. That is against the rules.

Stalions had visions of running the Michigan football program in the future, and claimed to have a Google document between 550 and 600 pages long that he managed daily, and it included a blueprint for the program's future, according to Johnson. He referred to the document more as a movement than a plan, and called it “the Michigan Manifesto.”

It is an interesting story, and it will be worth monitoring as more details surface.