Who is Connor Stalions? Meet the man behind the manifesto, at center of Michigan football sign-stealing scandal

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Dan Treacy
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The sign-stealing scandal that has enveloped Michigan football might eventually lead to some form of punishment for Jim Harbaugh, but the Wolverines coach is not the figure the NCAA is focusing on.

Instead, the investigation — and most of social media — has been digging into the work of Connor Stalions, once a little-known member of Michigan's staff who has now become a household name among fans.

The college football world is waiting to see whether Michigan will receive any consequences from the NCAA or the Big Ten during the 2023 season. As the investigation persists, the Wolverines are marching ahead knowing they have a realistic chance to win a national championship. 

MORE: Will Michigan be punished for scandal during 2023 season?

Here's what you need to know about Stalions, whose involvement in the alleged scheme has produced new revelations almost every day since the story first broke.

Who is Connor Stalions?

According to ESPN, Michigan off-field analyst Connor Stalions has become a "person of interest" to the NCAA amid the investigation. ESPN says investigators even looked to gain access to Stalions' computer as part of the inquiry.

Stalions is a retired captain in the United States Marine Corps and is considered a "low-level staffer" at Michigan, but he reportedly is a central part of the NCAA's probe into the football program. 

According to ESPN, "It was known in the building that [Stalions] spent much of his time deciphering opponents' signals, often watching television copies of opponents' games." 

Despite Stalions' working in the recruiting department and his role being off-field analyst, he has posted images of himself standing next to two former Michigan defensive coordinators on the sideline during games.

On Oct. 20, Michigan announced that Stalions had been suspended with pay. Since that point, more videos and images have surfaced showing Stalions on the Michigan sideline near important figures, and more reports alleging that Stalions bought tickets for games involving numerous Michigan opponents (and potential playoff opponents) have popped up.

ESPN reported Oct. 23 that Stalions bought tickets "for more than 30 games at 11 Big Ten schools over the past three years." ESPN's Dan Murphy further reported that Stalions bought tickets on both sides of Ohio Stadium for the Week 8 Penn State vs. Ohio State game, but they went unused after word of the investigation broke.

On Nov. 3, Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel reported that Michigan has fired Stalions.

The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach added that Stalions "allegedly refused to cooperate with any internal or external investigations or discussions regarding the alleged scouting and sign-stealing scheme."

Connor Stalions manifesto

You can't say Stalions isn't a go-getter. According to Sports Illustrated, the 28-year-old was one of a handful of low-level staffers who concocted a "long-term plan to run the Michigan football program."

The plan was contained in a document spanning between "550 and 600 pages" and was "managed daily." The report states that Stalions himself referred to it as "the Michigan manifesto."

MORE: Which NFL team could best fit Jim Harbaugh if he leaves Michigan?

While Stalions attended the U.S. Naval Academy, both of his parents attended Michigan. "I've grown up my entire life with a vision to coach football at Michigan," Stalions told an online blog in early 2022. As it turns out, that planning wasn't just contained in his head. It was written down over hundreds of pages, organized well, and shared with others. 

Stalions' chances of leading Michigan's football program — or even remaining part of it in any capacity — seem to be shrinking by the day as more evidence emerges, but he could quite possibly have his name connected to the program forever depending on the outcome of the sign-stealing investigation.

Connor Stalions at Central Michigan game

The Stalions saga took another strange turn when Central Michigan confirmed on Oct. 31 that it is investigating whether the Michigan staffer was on the Chippewas sideline for their Sept. 1 season opener against Michigan State.

Images circulated on social media showing a man in sunglasses and a hat lurking on Central Michigan's sideline, and the program wasn't able to identify the figure in any way when it announced the investigation.

Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain all but confirmed that the program believes it was Stalions in those images, telling reporters, "We obviously are aware of the picture floating around with the sign-stealer guy." McElwain added that Stalions' name was not on any sideline passes handed out.

While allegations had largely focused on Stalions buying tickets to games that featured future Michigan opponents and using footage to steal signs, Stalions attending a game on a team's sideline would be a jarring revelation that changes the complexion of the scandal.

MORE: Latest college football bowl projections

Connor Stalions memes

Some college football scandals deal with very serious topics. This one, at the end of the day, is just about football. College football fans weren't going to let the Stalions saga come and go without bombarding Michigan with memes.

Here are some of the best memes as more revelations about Stalions' involvement surface.

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Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News.

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