BREAKING: Connor Stalions will tell his side of the story in Netflix documentary

Connor Stalions became the most controversial figure in college football during the 2023 season, and now he'll tell his side of the story in a new documentary.

Chris Breiler | Jul 22, 2024

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh watches from the sideline beside off-field analyst Connor Stalions, right, during the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Michigan Wolverines

This is definitely a documentary that will get a lot of attention just days before the Michigan Wolverines are set to kick off the 2024 season. Netflix is set release a documentary on Aug 27 featuring Connor Stalions, the former U-M staff member who was at the center of the sign-stealing controversy during the 2023 season.

NEWS: Netflix is releasing a documentary featuring Connor Stalions🍿

"Sign Stealer (Aug 27): Connor Stalions shares his side of Michigan's alleged sign-stealing scheme that turned him into a viral villain."https://t.co/Ato4MD7Bcs pic.twitter.com/JjJZyMXzia
— On3 (@On3sports) July 22, 2024

Stalions is the central figure of an NCAA investigation into an apparent sign-stealing scheme that became one of the biggest controversies in College Football. The former U-M staffer was accused of illegally gathering intel on other teams by utilizing a "vast network" of folks who would attend games on his behalf and record Michigan's future opponent signals. For many, the controversy surrounding Stalions called into question all of Michigan's success over the last three years, with some even calling for wins to be vacated.

The story about Connor Stalions wasn't just about the act of gathering intel on other teams, however. As additional details began to emerge about the former U-M staff member, it became clear that his vision for the Michigan Football program - and his role within it - went far beyond gathering intel on other teams. In fact, a previous report by Sports Illustrated indicated that Stalions had a detailed plan on how he would ultimately run the program in the future - - something he referred to as "The Michigan Manifesto." The information was obtained via a former student at a Power 5 school who was in direct communication with Stalions in January and February 2021.

Texts reviewed by @sinow show Connor Stalions claimed relationships with multiple Michigan assistants

He was apparently also working on a 600-page "manifesto" to run the program in the future using data on ~500 Navy players to inform a recruiting theory. https://t.co/WCdmylmWWa
— Richard🇬🇾Johnson (@RJ_cfb) October 25, 2023

Stalions, now 28, revealed that he was part of a small group of people—two of whom he said were at low-level positions on different college football coaching staffs—who were putting their heads together on a long-term plan to run the Michigan football program. Stalions claimed to have a Google document between 550 and 600 pages long that he managed daily, containing a blueprint for the Wolverines’ future. He referred the document as a movement more than a plan, dubbing it “the Michigan Manifesto.”

Stalions wrote, “I think it’s pretty rare to find the right type of people who can grasp a vision of the future and want to team up and run s---. And we all got our own stuff goin on, but we all got some pretty unique approaches. Basically the way I see it, there’s a future Ohio State head coach and staff out there somewhere preparing for it whether they know it or not. And we have a group of a half dozen actively planning s--- 15 or so years out. And another dozen or two on board. So by the time it’s ready to rock, we’re all on the same page and we quickly make Michigan the ultimate standard.”

Given how big of a role this topic played during the 2023 season, there's no doubt that fans from all across college football will be tuned in when the documentary releases later next month.

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -