Imagine spending over two years and being one of the first schools to offer an in-state player before they got any kind of a following. Imagine getting that player on campus numerous times, only for that player to go to a school several hours away once and completely turn the tide in that recruitment.
That’s what happened with four-star quarterback Wonderful “Champ” Monds, who chose the Notre Dame Fighting Irish over the Florida State Seminoles a few days ago. It wasn’t a shock since the predictions for Monds to choose Notre Dame were already out there, and Florida State was already scrambling for plan B or C.
Make no mistake, Notre Dame likely offered Monds a nice financial package to help persuade him. Their winning track record compared to Florida State over the past few years is light-years better, which worked in their favor.
However, one of the reasons Monds said he chose Notre Dame was Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.
"Marcus Freeman is super down to earth and he was telling me how I would fit at Notre Dame..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 1, 2026
He's a great guy and a great coach" @champmonds #PMSLive https://t.co/Sf5gMvPxYf pic.twitter.com/5udFDa0k5Y
Florida State will have to settle at the quarterback position once again. It's a tale as old as time under Mike Norvell.
"I mean first of all, he's super down to earth," Monds said of Freeman. "When you're talking to him, you don't feel like he's on any other higher level than you. He's just such a humble guy and he was just telling me different things about the program and how I would fit. That's the reason they wanted me to join their program. Coach Freeman, I feel like he's a great guy and a great coach. I can't wait to see what they do this year."
How can Mike Norvell and the coaching staff get him on staff multiple times, including TWICE this spring, and still not close the deal on their No. 1 target? The crazy part is that Monds is the No. 20-ranked QB nationally. It’s not like he’s a top-five quarterback. He clearly has talent, but he’s not the top to come in and start as a freshman.
Yet, Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman were able to make up considerable ground in one visit. It’s a microcosm of Florida State’s quarterback recruiting. It’s a position they haven’t hit on once since Mike Norvell became the head coach, either from the high school ranks or the transfer portal. Which is one of the biggest reasons they’ve gone 7-17 over the past two years.
I said keeping Mike Norvell would cost them in recruiting this year. FSU only has a handful of commits, and it’ll be interesting to see if anything changes over the next couple of months as official visits start taking place.
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