What was once called a “minor” procedure for Notre Dame commit Champ Monds was perhaps more serious than the quarterback and his people originally let on. Still, there’s optimism that Monds will be healed up and ready for spring practice when he becomes an early enrollee in South Bend.
On3 analyst Mike Singer shed light on the injury that caused Monds to shut down his final high school season after just a few games. According to Singer, it was a dislocated left shoulder that Monds also dislocated towards the end of his 2025 season.
Last fall, his people thought Monds could recover without surgery. However, when he suffered the same injury two years in a row, his doctor felt it was now time to go under the knife and try to make it so that the injury doesn’t become a chronic one.
Now that Monds has undergone that procedure, he will definitely miss the rest of his final season with Vero Beach. That’s a massive bummer for both the quarterback and his teammates, as he was off to a stellar start to the campaign.
Notre Dame football QB commit Champ Monds faces recovery after repeat shoulder injury
Monds finished his abbreviated 2026 season by completing 33 of 40 passes for 591 yards, 7 touchdowns, and no interceptions, with an 82.5 percent completion rate over two games. He also rushed 10 times for 70 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 661 yards of total offense and 11 total touchdowns.
Concerns arose in his final game that something might be very wrong, as he showed up later wearing a sling. Not long after the injury came to light, Monds officially announced that he was shutting things down for the rest of 2026.
“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 6-foot-2, 224-pounder was reclassified from the 2028 class to 2027 in December and announced his commitment to Notre Dame on May 1. He chose the Fighting Irish over his other finalists, Florida State and Ohio State.
Monds broke onto the scene as a freshman, throwing for 2,234 yards and 23 touchdowns. Unfortunately, that was the last full season he played. In 2025, he played in five games, throwing for 691 yards and seven touchdowns. Then, of course, he played in just two games this fall.
Despite injury concerns in his final two high school seasons, Notre Dame reportedly expects him to be fully healed and ready to compete for playing time once spring practice rolls around. If he stays on track, Champ Monds could be one of the more interesting players to watch. With CJ Carr expected to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, Monds could be engaged in a battle for the starting quarterback job.
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