When Champ Monds was spotted on the sidelines on Friday wearing a sling, rather than warming up for his Vero Beach team, there was plenty of reason to worry about the Notre Dame quarterback commit.
On Saturday afternoon, he confirmed that there was something to worry about. In fact, Monds will miss the rest of his senior season. The 4-star quarterback had an unexpected procedure that ends his campaign after just two very good starts. As he pointed out, his focus will now turn to getting ready to be healthy for 2027. Monds wrote a note to both his current school and his future one on Instagram.
Vero Nation! First of all, I’d like to thank my coaches, teammates, supporters, and the fan base for the past 3 years, as it’s been a blessing to play here," the Notre Dame commit wrote. "Unfortunately, that run has ended as my 2026 season has been cut short due to an unexpected minor procedure that needs to be addressed. I know that all of my guys at Vero will finish the drill without me! Even with how disappointing this is for me, I’m excited about a new start, 100% healthy, in South Bend! Irish fans, see you soon!!”
The injury comes just a few games after Monds started a season that looked like it could rocket him up the 2027 recruiting rankings. Through two games, Monds completed 33-of-40 passes for 591 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Last night, the four-star Notre Dame commit’s non-throwing arm was in a sling, and he did not participate in warmups or play versus the Panthers.
Notre Dame football must hope Champ Monds can finally put recurring health setbacks behind him
So far, Mond hasn't said exactly what happened, but the procedure on that non-throwing arm was enough that the next time he takes the field, it will be for the Fighting Irish.
The 6-foot-2½, 219-pound quarterback from Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Florida, originally belonged to the 2028 class before reclassifying to the 2027 class.
Perhaps the biggest blow for Monds is that this is the second straight year that his season ended early. Last year, Monds was limited to five games because of ankle and shoulder injuries but remained highly productive when healthy. He completed 45 of 63 passes for 691 yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions, good for a 71.4% completion rate. Monds also carried the ball nine times for 33 yards and a touchdown.
With his arm in a sling, it seems likely he's once again dealing with a shoulder issue. The worry now is that the situation will continue to pop up throughout his football career, including when he arrives at Notre Dame.
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