The Michigan Wolverines are coming off a national championship, but there season also had a fair bit of national controversy.
The allegations against Michigan focused on a former low-level staffer, Connor Stalions, purchasing tickets to the games of future opponents and sending people to those games to record video of that team’s signals.
The Big Ten called it “an organized, extensive, years-long in-person advance scouting scheme,” by the Michigan Wolverines backing up earlier media reports. In announcing the penalty, Petitti described a “master spreadsheet” that included sign-stealing assignments and “monetary amounts associated with certain assigned games.”
Multiple Big Ten schools say they found records of tickets purchased in Stalions’ name to their games and surveillance video of the people sitting in those seats pointing their phones toward the field.
Photos on the internet also suggest Stalions was on the Central Michigan sideline during the Sept. 1 game against Michigan State, wearing CMU gear and sunglasses. Central Michigan said it was working with the NCAA.
Just who tipped off NCAA investigators is among the unanswered questions.
Stalions had been employed by the Michigan Wolverines since 2022 as a recruiting analyst. Social media accounts for Stalions identified him as a graduate of the Naval Academy and a longtime Michigan football fan.
He was suspended by the university shortly after the NCAA and Big Ten acknowledged the school was being investigated. Two weeks later, he resigned, saying through his lawyer that neither Harbaugh nor any member of his coaching staff told anyone to break any rules or were aware of improper conduct regarding the recent allegations of advanced scouting.
Former Michigan Wolverines OC Josh Gattis Blamed For Xavier Worthy’s Recruitment, Accuses Program Of Serious Allegations
All eyes in the NFL were locked into the NFL Combine in Indianapolis over the weekend as the next crop of prospects attempted to showcase their skills for NFL scouts and talent evaluators.
While there were plenty of impressive performances, there was one player who stole the show more than any other.
Texas WR Xavier Worthy —who was once committed to the Michigan Wolverines — set a new combine record for the 40-yard-dash with a blazing 4.21 time.
Worthy’s eye-popping showing immediately went viral on social media and triggered some Michigan fans to revisit the reason for him de-committing from the Wolverines football program.
This is where former Michigan Wolverines OC Josh Gattis entered the scene, who was accused of sleeping with Worthy’s mother which led him to breaking his commitment to the program.
After fans brought this up when Worthy went viral over the weekend, Gattis not only defended himself but also accused the program of other serious violations.
It’s time this Bs ends. The slander has crossed the line for too long. Don’t make excuses for admission…. Or how about look into being on campus during covid. Want to keep on?
— Josh Gattis (@Coach_Gattis) March 3, 2024
“It’s time this Bs ends. The slander has crossed the line for too long,” he wrote on X in reference to a post about wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who just broke the combine’s 40-yard dash record with a 4.21 sprint. “Don’t make excuses for admission…. Or how about look into being on campus during covid. Want to keep on?”
“Sounds like you need others to speak for you. I’ve taken the high road too long while you & others slander my integrity & family,” Gattis added. “Ask why Admissions said they wouldn’t require a ACT but denied mid year because of a ACT 4 days before enroll. Do you want the violations too? Emails?”
It’s clear Josh Gattis isn’t thrilled with the serious allegations from fans directed at him as the reasoning for Xavier Worthy deciding to back out of his commitment from the Michigan Wolverines. The former OC hinted the program was committing other serious infractions but it’s unlikely there is any action or investigation due to a heated social media rant.
