Top-25 College Football QB Announces Commitment Timeline Amid National Interest

These three college football programs are in the mix to land a four-star 2027 quarterback prospect.

Champ Monds (1) of Vero Beach looks to pass in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. | CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The competition for the best prospects in the 2027 college football class is intense in late April of the 2026 offseason.

The summer will bring about a period for recruits to take official visits to the schools that impress them most. However, a large number of these recruits have already made or will make their decisions before taking any official visits.

One prospect closing in on an official decision is quarterback Wonderful "Champ" Monds IV. The 6-foot-2, 219-pounder from Vero Beach, Florida, ranks as the No. 22 quarterback, No. 25 prospect in Florida and No. 288 overall prospect in the class of 2027, per Rivals.

Monds IV will reach college a season early as a result of his decision to reclassify. He also missed virtually the entire 2025 regular season at Vero Beach High School due to an ankle injury, but he returned to guide it to an appearance in the FHSAA 7A State Championship game.

In roughly a year and a half as Vero Beach's starter, Monds IV has thrown for 2,925 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions and run for 535 yards and 10 more touchdowns.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins referred to Monds IV as a "stocky pocket passer that can push the ball around the yard" and said that he "showcases impressive touch and trajectory on deep shots" in a scouting report from December.

Monds IV took an important step toward his commitment on Wednesday. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported that Monds IV will announce his commitment live on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday, making the decision between three schools.

Florida State

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell leads practice Thursday, April 9, 2026. | Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Of Monds IV's three finalists, the Seminoles are the only in-state team vying for his commitment. Florida State became the second team to offer Monds IV a scholarship when he attended a camp there in June, and he has taken two more visits there in 2026.

Florida State will start Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels at quarterback in 2026. In addition to Daniels, the Seminoles bring in three-star freshman Jaden O'Neal and junior college transfer Malachi Marshall as depth pieces on their 2026 roster. Florida State has not signed a four-star quarterback since it landed Luke Kromenhoek in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish did not begin their recruitment of Monds IV until January. Monds IV visited Notre Dame on April 18, his most recent visit to any of his three finalists.

Notre Dame enters its second season with CJ Carr as its starting quarterback in 2026. The Fighting Irish signed a pair of three-star freshman quarterbacks in the 2026 cycle in Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard, but Monds IV would mark their first four-star quarterback signee since the aforementioned Carr in 2024.

Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches during the Ohio State football spring game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on April 18, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Buckeyes extended their offer to Monds IV in late January of 2025. Ohio State has hosted Monds IV on four visits, three of which were in 2025 and the fourth back at the beginning of April.

Ohio State will start Julian Sayin at quarterback for at least one more season and is backing him up with former five-star Tavien St. Clair. The Buckeyes already hold a commitment from four-star quarterback Brady Edmunds in the 2027 cycle, who ranks higher than Monds IV according to Rivals.