Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 17, 2026 43 His latest injury setback also forced him to miss the remainder of his senior season and his chance to avenge last season's loss. "He wasn't ready to walk away," Champ's mother said. "He wasn't fin- ished. There was still so much he wanted to accomplish with his teammates." She noted that Monds had opportuni- ties to play his final season at "several very well-known high school football power- houses," but he stayed at Vero Beach be- cause of his strong relationships with his coaches, teammates and the community. "That decision says a lot about who he is," she said. "He chose loyalty over convenience. He chose his team over individual opportunity. And he chose to finish what he started. He would never abandon his team. And he would never start something without giving every- thing he had to finish it." Monds' high school career will always leave unanswered questions about what could have been. But that's only one chapter of his football career. His opportunity at Notre Dame is still ahead of him. "Champ is disappointed and frus- trated," Mrs. Monds continued. "He is heartbroken. And, at times, I think he is still trying to understand why this hap- pened now — after all the work he put in during the offseason and after coming out strong in the first three games. "But even through the disappoint- ment, I see his character. He hasn't blamed anyone. He hasn't quit. He hasn't allowed the injury to take away his love for the game. He's simply hav- ing to learn a lesson that no athlete ever wants to learn: Sometimes you can do everything right, give everything you have and still face circumstances com- pletely outside of your control. "We remind him that it is OK to be disappointed. He doesn't have to pre- tend that this doesn't hurt. Right now, we're taking it one day at a time. We are focused on getting him healthy, sup- porting him emotionally and reminding him of his faith in God." The Notre Dame coaching staff has been nothing but supportive of Monds throughout the injury situation. The Monds family was also back in South Bend Sept. 19 to see Notre Dame knock off Michigan State 27-10. "From the moment they learned about Champ's setback, they have continued to check in, communicate with us and ensure he knows their sup- port extends far beyond football," Mrs. Monds said. "We are grateful." Between Monds' reclassification and two injury-riddled seasons, there are concerns about the lack of playing time he's had at the high school level. How- ever, the Monds family pointed out that Pittsburgh Steelers legend and Super Bowl XL champion Ben Roethlisberger started at quarterback on the varsity team as a senior, and current Oklahoma State star signal-caller Drew Mestemaker never started a varsity game at the prep level. There is precedent with quarterbacks such as Roethlisberger and Mestemaker succeeding despite limited reps as high school quarterbacks, and Monds' talent gives him a chance to overcome his lack of experience at the next level. After Monds' sensational freshman year, Rivals ranked him as the No. 1 quar- terback and No. 2 overall player in the 2028 class. He completed 181 of 268 passes for 2,234 yards with 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 2024. He also ran 142 times for 502 yards with 9 touchdowns as a freshman and was named the TCPalm Offensive Player of the Year. "Experience matters, but it is not the only measure of a quarterback's poten- tial," Mrs. Monds stated. "Talent, work ethic, football IQ, leadership, adaptability and the ability to develop all matter, too. "We believe in Champ. The football world knows what he is capable of, but more importantly, the people in the buildings at Notre Dame know, too." ✦ Champ Monds Reflects On First Game Day In South Bend Vero Beach (Fla.) High four-star quarterback Champ Monds committed to Notre Dame May 1 without ever experiencing what a game-day atmosphere was like in South Bend. After and a half months on the Irish's 2027 commit list, Monds made it to campus to see Notre Dame knock off Michigan State 27-10 Sept. 19. This visit came 10 days after he underwent surgery on his left shoulder, ending his high school playing career. "My first game-day visit was amazing," Monds told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "It's always great to watch the games, but to be there in person and picture myself being on that field with that atmosphere was an incredible experience." "I think the passing game was great. CJ [Carr] looked very poised and comfortable in the pocket while also making checks prior to the snap. That's very inspiring knowing that Coach Gino [Guidugli] and [Mike] Denbrock work with him on all of that, and I'll be in the room learning it all very soon." Monds raved about hanging out with the Irish staff. It was his first time back on campus since his official visit in June. "I spent time with almost every coach who was there; all of my conversations were great," Monds continued. "I talked with Gino, Coach [Marcus] Freeman, Coach Denbrock, Coach [Ja'Juan] Se- ider, Coach [Mike] Brown, Coach [Shaun] Shivers and everyone on the recruiting staff but mainly Carter Auman and Justice Bathas." Monds loved the pregame festivities, getting a preview of what game day will be like for him next fall. "It was amazing doing the player walk, truly a surreal experience," he said. "There were plenty of people yelling my name, showing a lot of support. That was for sure a highlight of the weekend." He will graduate from Vero Beach in December and enroll at Notre Dame in January. "I cannot wait to become a member of the team," Monds said. "Growing up, I always dreamed about playing college football and go- ing on to play in the NFL. The fact that the first part of that dream is about to come true is still hard for me to believe." Monds will return to campus for the Miami game Nov. 7. — Mike Singer Monds, who was on hand to watch Notre Dame beat Michigan State 27-10 Sept. 19, described the Irish's player walk as "truly a surreal experience." PHOTO BY KYLE KELLY