Penn State DC Manny Diaz trolls Michigan ahead of big game

First-year Penn State football defensive coordinator Manny Diaz walks onto the turf with other members of the team during football media day at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, August 6, 2022, in State College.
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Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is leaning into Michigan’s sign-stealing allegations in sending a message to Nittany Lions fans ahead of Saturday’s big game.

In a video message to fans, Diaz made a series of signals instructing Penn State fans to arrive early for Saturday’s game and to be loud, especially on third down. While fairly innocuous on the surface, it probably isn’t coincidental that Diaz went this route with Michigan as the opponent.

Manny Diaz wants to troll Michigan with a signal joke. 😑

We'll see if he's laughing on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/PSyzvxGtS7

— Trevor Woods (@WoodsFootball) November 9, 2023

The Penn State game is Michigan’s first real test of the 2023 season. It comes with the football program enveloped in an enormous sign-stealing scandal that has raised the possibility of a suspension for coach Jim Harbaugh, which the school is already preparing to fight. Michigan has also tried to counter the allegations against them with claims that other schools were stealing their signals, too.

Nittany Lions fans probably did not need a video from Diaz to fire them up for what should be a raucous environment Saturday. Michigan may take note and not take kindly to it, though.