The consequences of the Connor Stalions sign stealing scandal have finally dropped last month, though many fans were not satisfied as many of those responsible just got a slap on the wrist or are banned from the NCAA even though they are now working somewhere else.
One figure caught in the scandal is Ohio State linebacker Joey Velazquez, who was allegedly the one who leaked Michigan’s sign stealing to the media while he was still playing for the Wolverines. With him now at Ohio State, many in Michigan have expressed their feelings for the former Wolverine, and many on social media are not happy with him.
“Joey Velazquez will never be loved by anyone. He’s a Columbus kid who made a decision to go to Michigan Went back home to ride pine because he sucks at football. But the people of Columbus won’t forgive you for picking UM And UM fans won’t forgive you for being a traitor,” one fan said on X.
Joey Velazquez will never be loved by anyone. He’s a Columbus kid who made a decision to go to Michigan
Went back home to ride pine because he sucks at football. But the people of Columbus won’t forgive you for picking UM
And UM fans won’t forgive you for being a traitor
— GoBlueHasbi (@GoBlueHasbulla) September 1, 2025
Several fans agreed with this sentiment, while others defended the linebacker for having the integrity to allegedly expose Michigan’s alleged sign stealing.
“If a random 3rd stringer knew about Connor Stalions scouting operations, does that mean other players knew as well?” asked one person.
“Don’t blame the cheating. Blame the guy who called out the cheating. Makes sense,” one person pointed out.
Meanwhile, others slammed him over his possible ineligibility.
“So the player is Joey Velazquez. He transferred from Michigan to Ohio State and played on the OSU team that won the national championship. If he’s found ineligible, it could mean Ohio State’s national championship would be vacated,” one fan said.
“It’s a whole lot more potentially than being a “traitor” if he obtained computer access illegally and then handed it over to an “unnamed” PI firm, who handed it over to the NCAA, who ran with it without vetting unnamed player at all. Partridge fired. Much more than being a rat,” another person added.
“Joey Velazquez lied to the NCAA and broke the law… How amazing will it be when after it’s all said and done, Ohio State is the team to forfeit their national championship for playing an ineligible player 😂😂😂 He also played against Texas last week. Uh oh 👀👀👀,” added another.
“Timeline: – Joey Velazquez tells the NCAA that Michigan LB coach Chris Partridge told linebackers to lie to the NCAA – NCAA tells Michigan that Partridge instructed players to lie to NCAA – Michigan fires Partridge based on NCAA’s claim – NCAA confirms that Partridge never told players to lie They tried to ruin an innocent man’s career,” one person claimed.
“🚨 BREAKING 🚨 New evidence has come forward in the Michigan-NCAA investigation, proving that a former Michigan player lied to the NCAA. This player is suspected to be Ohio State player Joey Velazquez, making him illegible and requiring the vacating of OSU’s National Championship and other wins, possibly dating back to 2022 or further,” added one person.
Velazquez has not been officially named and this is still fan speculation as of the moment.
What Is Joey Velazquez’s Role in the Connor Stalions Sign Stealing Scandal?
Joey Velazquez was originally from Columbus, Ohio, where Ohio State University is, but chose Michigan as the Wolverines offered that he could play baseball and football there at the same time. In 2023, before the scandal was exposed, Velazquez allegedly began leaking what Connor Stalions was doing to the media.
It was allegedly him who called then-Michigan defensive analyst Connor Stalions, the alleged mastermind of the sign stealing scandal, and recorded their conversation, which he handed to the NCAA. It is alleged that he was student-athlete 1 in the COI response.
On Dec. 28, 2023, Velazquez entered the transfer portal and did not participate in that year’s Rose Bowl. He soon transferred as a graduate student to his hometown school, Ohio State, to exclusively play football there.
Related:
Where Is Connor Stalions Now? Updates on Michigan’s Coach at Center of Sign-Stealing Scandal
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