Michigan has been fighting allegations related to the Connor Stalions-led advanced scouting and sign-stealing scandal. The school and NCAA have failed to reach an end to a business fight for over two years now. Connor Stalions, the former U-M staffer accused of illegally gathering intel on other teams, has taken to a Netflix documentary to narrate his side of the salacious story, but that didn’t let him escape the inevitable flakes and actions. On the one side, Michigan lifted the trophy (back in 2023). On the other, the guy embraced slander in his name. But he’s not at all the culprit, as the LA Rams’ prodigy, the school’s proud alumna, Blake Corum, sees it.
Stalions, born and brought up in the state, always knew he would coach the Blue and Maize one day. Just as he stepped into his dream, it met with some unexpected challenges. Evidence of sign stealing and manipulating the mound against Stalions, forcing him to give up and leave his chair. Conor said the naive allegation has destroyed his career and his life as a whole. But according to Corum, he’s not even worth being punished a bit.
Stalions estimates that “80 to 90%” of teams had a coach whose job is to figure out the other team’s hand signals. So, it’s not against the NCAA rules and customs. Also, in the growing NIL-driven era, it’s not very uncommon to invade the privacy of the teams. Every team, once in a while, gets itself embroiled in some dark, dank activities. Then why does Michigan take all the blame from the fans and veterans? Well, Corum, who was drafted 83rd overall in the 2024 draft by the LA Rams, thinks it’s a ripple effect of the iconic rivalry in the state’s history.
”He did it the same way other schools do it. So, I mean, people are always gonna judge him, especially the Ohio State fans, but they can’t take anything away from us. They took our ball away from us when we had our toughest schedule. You know what I am saying: Penn State, without coach Harbaugh. We played Maryland without coach Harbaugh. Beat Ohio State without coach Harbaugh, I mean, kind of have nothing to do with it. We were a great team.” The Buckeyes can make a lot of stories, especially given they weren’t able to topple the new Wolverines in the field over the last few years. But the Natty glory remains untouched, unfazed.
Blake Corum shared his thoughts on Michigan’s 2023 national championship team after the Connor Stallions backlash
“Nobody left for NIL money when everyone else was in the transfer portal…We knew we were going to get a natty and nobody can take that from me”@swankywolverine |… pic.twitter.com/OGMFcM8qmY
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) March 26, 2025
Nobody can speak about the level of talent in the 2023 Michigan team better than Blake Corum. He had back-to-back 1000+ rushing yard seasons for the Wolverines. In 2023, he rushed for 1,245 yards and 27 rushing TDs. These are not just empty stats. Corum was there when the lights were the brightest. For instance, the natty final. 134 yards and two touchdowns, including a 59-yard run in the first quarter.
‘‘Michigan prides itself on saying the team. No one left for NIL money. Where everyone else was in the transfer portal. This school has offered me one point. No, not everyone stayed in Michigan; we know we had something. We know we loved a brother. We are going to get a Natty, and no one can take that from me,” Blake Corum came clean on his thoughts.
However, keeping aside the scandals, Corum, the former running back of the school, is equally invested in transforming the NIL territory. And guess who else is thinking the same and is legitimately taking a giant leap on that road?
Michigan receives a major NIL boost
Sheroone Moore keeps attracting money to his program. NIL has always been one of the strongest points in Moore’s school, but it couldn’t be if people like Larry Ellison and his wife hadn’t come forward and handsomely contributed massive money from time to time.
In a head-turning announcement amidst the spring game buzz, James Yoder of the Michigan Football Report passed on, “If you’re Larry Ellison, if you sold 1 percent of your Oracle stock, it’d be about $2 billion, right? That means he could give $50 million to Michigan for the next 40 years. I was told that’s what he’s done. Not necessarily sold the stocking line like that, but Ellison and you know, Jolin, his new wife, have pledged anywhere from $25 to $40 million in perpetuity as long as either one of them is alive…
The founder of the Oracle company, Michigan’s biggest rock in this upheaval journey, has also played an instrumental role in swooping Bryce Underwood against a massive $10 million. Now, it will be interesting to see how Michigan deals with all the flowing money and a red-hot warning of the scam going forward.
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