Connor Stalions Goes On Wild Rant Responding to Sonny Dykes

In the history of great written works lost to time, it seems a tragedy nearly on par with the Library of Alexandria’s burning that the thousand-plus page Connor Stalions manifesto may never see the light of day. However, early in the hours of Saturday morning, the college football world received a glimpse into just how unhinged Stalions can present himself in print.

On the morning prior, acclaimed Amazon shopping cart detective Brett McMurphy posted a story with new quotes from TCU head coach Sonny Dykes regarding his knowledge of Michigan’s sign stealing antics ahead of the 2022 College Football Playoff. The article relays that Dykes’ staff was “inundated with phone calls and texts” regarding the Wolverines’ operation to steal opponent signals. Dykes himself said that, “everybody does it to an extent, but we had some intel that it was kind of next level there.”

Tipped off about Michigans sign stealing system in 2022, Sonny Dykes told @On3sports TCU changed its play calls before their College Football Playoff semifinal. Everybody does it to an extent, but we had some intel it was kind of next level there.https://t.co/R1x45SBtpu

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 11, 2025

Dykes went on to say that because TCU anticipated Michigan would heavily lean on the intel they had for a competitive advantage, the Horned Frogs were able to exploit what “we knew they knew.” He believed the Wolverines ultimately became frustrated enough about the situation in the second half that “they quit worrying about it.”

Just shy of 1 a.m. ET on Saturday morning, with his pride wounded by Dykes, Stalions felt compelled enough to respond directly to the story from his X account despite his acknowledgement of the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into his conduct.

To be tipped off that your next opponent is good at stealing signals is like saying you were tipped off that you had an upcoming game.

— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) July 12, 2025

Not merely satisfied with his brief response, Stalions came unglued over the next seven minutes and fired off six paragraphs in which he proceeded to make a series of wild admissions and statements. Those included throwing Michigan players under the bus for their performance against TCU, that he’s never been “fooled” by anyone, and that he knew “almost every signal” against at least seven high profile opponents in games between 2021 and 2022.

To save everybodys time so we can move on from the same recycled story from Coach Dykes, Ill provide some more details and we can wrap this up:

We lost because we turned the ball over & had a poor game tackling. And TCU played well. Congratulations. The same way we won the

— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) July 12, 2025

Stalions also called it “funny” that anybody would attempt to correlate stealing signs to any wins and losses at Michigan. When asked by an Ohio State fan about committing NCAA violations, getting a game ball if he offered no value and his invasion of the Central Michigan sideline, Stalions claimed he can’t discuss details of an ongoing investigation.

Hey DPH! Id love to answer your questions, but unfortunately Im not allowed to discuss details of an ongoing NCAA investigation. And answering a few of those questions directly would be doing exactly that.

But Im looking forward to being able to address those questions (if

— Connor Stalions (@cpstalions) July 12, 2025

This is the first time Stalions has commented publicly on the sign-stealing scandal since the NCAA’s hearing with Michigan last month in which president Charlie Baker indicated a ruling would release within the next 30 to 90 days afterwards. The behavior from the former Wolverine analyst certainly appears curious given not only Michigan’s attempt at a preemptive punishment for head coach Sherrone Moore, but also his previous efforts to protect the program’s image at all costs. The criticism of player performance in losses particularly seems irregular given how often Stalions has attempted to redirect blame for Michigan’s problems onto himself as opposed to athletes or other staff.

Michigan opens its season on August 30th against New Mexico, which Moore will miss due to suspension before temporarily returning to coach against his alma mater Oklahoma the following week. Given the NCAA hearing took place last month across June 6th and 7th, a punishment could possibly arrive as late as two days prior to the road trip to Norman given the window established by Baker. Stalions indicated he’s “glad the truth will finally emerge” when the investigation concludes.

Paul Finebaum Guarantees Texas Beats Ohio State in 2025 Opener

As the beginning of the 2025 college football schedule finally draws near, infamous SEC apologist Paul Finebaum has already achieved midseason form with respect to drawing the ire of Buckeye fans.

Friday morning, Finebaum outright stated that he “not probably — definitely” believes Texas will beat Ohio State in the season opener for both schools while declaring his love for Longhorns quarterback Archie Manning. His profession included the statement that, “I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be.”

Paul Finebaum: “I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be to a young, great college quarterback… the experience of being an understudy to Ewers and understanding Sark’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably well, not probably pic.twitter.com/AcJkJNkIH5

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 11, 2025

Finebaum previously picked Ohio State to beat Texas in last season’s CFP semifinal round due to a belief that the Buckeyes did not, “have to play that well, they just have to play consistently.” However, this time around he believes that Manning having, “experience of being an understudy to [Quinn] Ewers and understanding [Steve Sarkinian]’s system is what’s going to get them over the top.”

Manning threw for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions in three starts for the Longhorns last season, but also only faced one Power Five opponent in the form of Mississippi State. The Bulldogs finished 2024 with a 2-10 record and lost all eight of their SEC games. The opener in Columbus will also serve as Manning’s first start on the road in his college career.

SCORE Act Could Reshape NIL in College Sports

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the “Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Edorsements (SCORE) Act” that could significantly alter the chaotic name, image and likeness landscape for college athletes and programs.

Here’s the announcement of the bi-partisan SCORE Act, which has several co-sponsors.

Full bill text – https://t.co/kg8SylYFXN https://t.co/KwBbhzUdoX pic.twitter.com/VKhkQ5IrLs

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 10, 2025

Several components of the bill would place parameters around how universities manage both the structure and financial support of their athletic departments. One mandate would require schools to maintain at least 16 varsity sports teams for what many speculate serves as a protection on behalf of Olympic programs. Another provision that would primarily impact Big Ten and SEC institutions appears to be that schools making at least $50 million in media rights revenue will not be able to allocate student fees towards supporting athletic endeavors.

As for new legislative measures impacting athletes themselves, players will not have permission to sign deals that would conflict with university codes of conduct or existing agreements between schools and other companies. This would effectively nullify the deal Jeremiah Smith signed with Adidas earlier this month given Ohio State’s preexisting relationship with Nike.

The SCORE Act would also require one of the collegiate associations with oversight to publicly disclose previously anonymous details of these deals — such as finite figure amounts — and would also create a one-time transfer rule.

The Act authorizes an association, such as the NCAA or CSC, to require athletes to disclose deals and aggregate & share publicly anonymized data of those deals.

Important: the bill allows establishment of a 1-time transfer rule & eligibility standards – both under legal attack.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 10, 2025

Although a vote on the bill has yet to receive an announcement, Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger relayed at its introduction that the SCORE Act, “is on track to progress further than any all-encompassing athlete compensation legislation.” Pete Nankos of On3 said last Wednesday that the first subcommittee markup for the bill could happen as early as July 15th, with a subsequent committee markup by the end of the month.

ICYMI

Brice Sensabaugh Sets New Summer League Scoring Record

Tuesday night, former Ohio State basketball player Brice Sensabaugh scored 37 points in a 112-111 win over the Memphis Grizzlies to set a new scoring record in the NBA’s Salt Lake City Summer League. Sensabaugh will look to carry that momentum into his third season with the Jazz after averaging just shy of 11 points per game across 71 appearances last regular season.

EA Sports CFB 26 Releases, Overall Ratings for Buckeyes Now Known

The second installment in the return of college football video games released this past week, as the standard edition of EA Sports College Football 26 became available to the public on Thursday. While Jeremiah Smith did not end up receiving his rumored 99 overall to start the game, he and Caleb Downs still find themselves as the two highest-rated players to begin the season and OSU boasts six total players with ratings in the 90s.

Reflecting on Illibuck Over a Century Later

When Ohio State travels to Memorial Stadium in October to play Illinois, it will mark a 100-year celebration of sorts for the second-oldest rivalry trophy in the Big Ten: Illibuck. Many already know that the tradition began with a live turtle, but few were aware of the facts around his demise in the care of the Fighting Illini or how the Buckeyes avenged his legacy in 1926 — until now.

What’s Next

• 48 Days: Buckeye football season opener vs. Texas
• 111 Days: Jim Knowles returns to Columbus
• 139 Days: The Game

Somehow, it feels like just yesterday and a lifetime ago that the Florida Gators cut down the nets in San Antonio. A lot has happened since that memorable night in early April. Coaches have changed schools, rosters have reshuffled, the House vs. NCAA settlement was approved and Cooper Flagg was officially drafted No. 1 overall.

It’s hard to believe how much action has been packed into just three months. The new college basketball landscape has made the offseason far busier and more chaotic, leaving us with an abundance of burning questions. We’ll gradually work through them over the summer as we look ahead to what should be a fascinating 2025-26 campaign.

1. Will the ACC bounce back after a lackluster season?

The ACC is coming off a historically bad season in which it received just four bids to the NCAA Tournament. Outside of No. 1 seed Duke, no ACC team advanced to the Round of 32. In the second annual ACC-SEC challenge, a series of matchups between the two conferences, the ACC went 2-14.  

The league’s struggles can be attributed to a number of factors. There has been heavy turnover among its coaches, as Hall of Famers like Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams and Tony Bennett retired, ushering in new eras for their respective programs. The ACC was also slower to adjust to the sport’s changing climate, shaped increasingly by the transfer portal and NIL. 

In 2025-26, the conference has the potential to bounce back. Duke should be a powerhouse once again, and programs such as Louisville, NC State, Virginia, North Carolina, Syracuse and more appear on the rise. When I spoke with Syracuse coach Adrian Autry in June, he expressed confidence that the ACC will turn things around in a major way. 

“I think our whole conference kind of (had to adjust),” Autry told me. “Obviously Duke, they were the only ones who were kind of immune to it. It’s funny, you felt like they’ve always kind of operated on that level. Our league had to make that adjustment. I think this year, this will be the ACC that everyone is accustomed to. You look around the league, you look at these rosters, this league is going to be back to what it used to be. And I think it took our league a couple years from a basketball standpoint to make those adjustments.”

2. Will the SEC’s reign continue?

While the ACC floundered in 2024-25, the SEC had perhaps the greatest men’s basketball season ever for a conference. Before league play, it posted a winning percentage of 88.9 percent. The SEC went on to earn a record-breaking 14 bids to the NCAA Tournament. Four of those teams reached at least the Elite Eight (Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee), with the Gators going on to win the national championship.

There is no doubt which conference currently sits atop the throne in college basketball. The top SEC schools are loaded once again, led by Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas and Alabama. But the Big 12 and the Big Ten have arguably gotten stronger, with Purdue (more on the Boilermakers below) and Houston among the contenders for preseason No. 1 overall. Seven of the top 15 freshmen in the 2025 recruiting class picked a Big 12 school, including AJ Dybantsa (BYU) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas), and five Big Ten schools are featured in the top 10 of Hoops HQ’s ranking of the best transfer classes (Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Washington and USC). 

3. Can Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn deliver Purdue its first national championship?

Purdue has a solid chance to open the 2025-26 campaign ranked No. 1 in the country. The Boilermakers are returning three standouts from last year’s team which finished fourth in the Big Ten and lost a nailbiter to Houston in the Sweet 16: 6-foot senior point guard Braden Smith, 6-foot-9 senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and 6-foot-5 senior guard Fletcher Loyer. Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, will be one of the frontrunners for the Wooden Award; Kaufman-Renn made the All-Big Ten First Team with averages of 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds; and Loyer, a three-year starter, averaged a career-high 13.8 points and shot 44.4 percent from three.

Coach Matt Painter’s squad had one glaring weakness in 2024-25: a lack of size. After 7-foot-4 freshman center Daniel Jacobsen suffered a season-ending injury in early November, Purdue had little rim protection and struggled immensely on the boards, ranking 362nd in the nation in blocks per game and 309th in rebounds per game. The Boilermakers will not only get Jacobsen back this season — they signed 6-foot-11 senior center Oscar Cluff, who averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds at South Dakota. The Portal Report ranked Cluff as the 10th best transfer (and No. 1 center) available this year. Purdue also added promising Israeli guard Omer Mayer, who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv last season. Mayer starred for Israel at the FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2 steals in four outings.

The Boilermakers have reached the Final Four three times, most recently in 2024, but they have never cut down the nets. The 2025-26 roster has all the ingredients to finally get the job done: size, experience, depth and multiple All-American candidates. 

4. Will BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa live up to the hype in an uber-talented freshman class?

The hype around incoming freshman A.J. Dybantsa, the No. 1 player in the class of 2025, has been building for years now. The 6-foot-9, do-it-all wing out of Utah Prep is finally set to make his college debut for the Cougars. He’s considered an early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and should contend for the Wooden Award if he lives up to expectations. Dybantsa caught the eye of NBA reps during U19 USA Basketball trials a month ago. “He was so damn good this week, it’s ridiculous,” one NBA scout told Hoops HQ’s Krysten Peek. “A.J. has a combination of physicality and depth when we’re looking at modern NBA play. He has the potential to excel on both sides of the floor and can deepen a team’s two-way versatility with his length, athleticism and IQ. I’ll be surprised if he’s not the No. 1 pick next year.”

Dybantsa is one of several freshmen with the potential to steal the spotlight in 2025-26. The new crop of rookies is just as loaded as last year’s class, which accounted for nine of the top 10 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. Hoops HQ’s draft expert Jonathan Wasserman currently projects 11 freshmen to be taken in the lottery of next year’s draft. Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Tennessee’s Nate Ament are all believed to be in the running for the No. 1 pick. Other names to monitor in the Freshman of the Year race include Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou, Arizona’s Koa Peat, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr., Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Arkansas’ Darius Acuff and more. 

5. Will the uptick in international players continue to shake up college basketball?

Since NIL and eligibility rules changed, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of international players joining college basketball. The reason is simple: top schools are offering more lucrative contracts than what’s available overseas. High-level prospects also get the opportunity to transition to life in the U.S. before moving on to the NBA. 

The influx of talent from countries around the globe has already had a profound impact on the sport. Last season, stars like BYU’s Egor Demin and Illinois’  Kasparas Jakucionis — both of whom were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft — helped their teams reach the NCAA Tournament.

Many more elite foreign players are entering the mix for the 2025-26 campaign. We got a peek at some of them at the FIBA U19 World Cup in early July. In addition to the aforementioned Omer Mayer, Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot-9 forward from Germany who will play at Washington next year, was sensational, averaging 17.2 points and 14 rebounds per game. Argentinian Tyler Kropp, a 6-foot-8 forward, was the tournament’s leading scorer at 21.8 points per game. There are numerous other international recruits who could wind up being the X-factors for their respective programs, such as Italian wing Dame Sarr (Duke), Montenegrin guard Luka Bogavac (North Carolina), Serbian guard Andrej Kostic (Kansas State), Greek wing Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech) and German forward Sananda Fru (Louisville). Illinois coach Brad Underwood has assembled a roster with five players from the Balkan region, headlined by Serbian guard Mihailo Petrovic, who was an MVP candidate in the Adriatic League. 

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2025 class. As a result, there is a lot of hype around him to be the next big star in college football. Since he is such a well-known recruit, Underwood has received several deals, which have resulted in him earning an NIL value of $3 million, according to On3.

One of the latest deals the Michigan QB signed is with the car giant, Chevrolet. On Saturday, Underwood posted a video on his Instagram story from a video shoot at a Chevrolet lot. In the video, Underwood makes reference to being the No. 1-ranked recruit in the nation.

“It’s fun being number one,” Bryce Underwood said.

Bryce Underwood committed to the Michigan Wolverines last season after a controversial recruiting period. He initially committed to join head coach Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers. However, reports started to come out in the fall that Underwood was considering Michigan.

It was then confirmed in November that the 17-year-old had flipped his commitment and would join the Wolverines to start his college career.

While it is not unheard of for a No. 1-ranked recruit to flip his recruitment, it was certainly a big deal. As a result, Underwood will be under an even bigger microscope in his freshman season.

Bryce Underwood Promises a Big Change for Michigan Football

Part of the reason Bryce Underwood has been able to get so many NIL deals is because of his performances on the football field. However, brands are also attracted to him because of his outspoken personality and confidence.

In an interview with Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider in June, Underwood spoke about his confidence heading into next season and ability to bring a big change to Michigan football.

“Honestly, it’s going to be a big difference, a big change from what everybody has seen from Michigan football… ever… come August 30th,” Underwood said.

Underwood also spoke about the growth process and how spring training helped him get comfortable with college football.

“I’d say the speed of my game and also my (comfort),” Underwood said. “I went in a little nervous, of course, because it’s my first step ever being in college. But then it was just like, ‘hold on, this is just football. Relax. Calm down. You’ve been doing this for 10, going on 11 years now.”

The Wolverines will start their season on Aug. 30 against New Mexico.

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!

College basketball has undergone significant changes in recent years with the introduction of NIL. With NIL in the mix, players have been more inclined to flip from school to school in search of the best possible deal. This has led to some frustration in the college basketball fan base.

However, following the NCAA house settlement deal, there has been a lot of talk about an NIL cap. This led to a discussion on Reddit, as one fan asked if the cap on NIL could reignite under-the-table recruiting and payments.

With there being a cap on NIL now, do you think that most schools will go back to paying players under the table again?
byu/Coolsun13 inCollegeBasketball

Many other college basketball fans chimed in with their opinions.

“100% it’s going back to cheating,” one fan wrote.

“No, there’s no cap on NIL, but all NIL deals must go through an NIL clearing house to get approved. Will teams still pay under the table? Probably. There will be people who will always cheat to gain an advantage. Human nature,” one fan commented.

“What is this “under the table money” you speak of?” one fan added.

Fans continued to react in the comments.

“The cap is only on how much colleges can spend on teams. There’s no limit for a player’s earning potential. Arch Manning can still make over the 17.6M cap that the House settlement put into place. Just the NIL deals have to go through the other org,” one fan wrote.

“It’ll be called lobbying players now. It’s as American as Apple Pie,” one fan commented.

“It’s going to be back to normal. Paying recruits under the table. Duke, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, Michigan were the biggest,” one fan added.

There Is No Cap on NIL Wages for College Basketball Players

One thing some fans do not understand about the NIL cap is that it does not cap wages for college basketball players. As a result of the house settlement, each team will have a set amount of money it can pay players each season.

This will be similar to a salary cap in professional sports leagues like the NBA, NFL and NHL. However, it does not limit the player’s earning potential.

Players are still able to sign NIL deals with brands outside of what they receive from their school. This cap is simply put in place to encourage players to pay players fairly and to stop top teams from poaching top players from other programs.

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