Notre Dame secures commitment from quarterback Wonderful Monds IV

Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish secured a commitment from Vero Beach quarterback Wonderful Monds IV. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

May 1 (UPI) -- Wonderful Monds IV, a four-star quarterback prospect from Vero Beach, Fla., plans to play college football at Notre Dame, he announced Friday.

Monds, 16, made the announcement on The Pat McAfee show. The Vero Beach High School quarterback is the No. 14 pocket passer in ESPN's 2027 prospect rankings. He is the No. 208 player in the 2027 ESPN 300 overall rankings.

"I've been recruited ever since coming in as a ninth grader," Monds told McAfee. "I'm blessed to be in this position."

Monds previously was one of the top prospects for the class of 2028 before he reclassified to the class of 2027. The 2026 Fighting Irish quarterbacks room is led by incumbent starter C.J. Carr and includes Blake Hebert, Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrad.

"I feel like Notre Dame has everything you can think of when it comes to academics," Monds said. "People on the coaching staff. Just overall, I feel like it's the best fit for me and my parents. We all sat down.

"It was probably one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. But we felt like this would be best for me."

The Fighting Irish also received a commitment from four-star defensive end Aidan O'Neal on Friday. Noah Grubbs and Jarrad were both four-star prospects in the class of 2026. Hebert was a four-star prospect in the class of 2025. Carr, a four-star prospect for 2024, was the No. 2 pocket passer in that class.