Wonderful “Champ” Monds knew he’d have a unique opportunity if he visited Ohio State this summer. The 2028 quarterback from Florida participated in Ohio State’s second seven-on-seven tournament of the summer on June 16 and essentially had the sole attention of the majority of the Buckeyes’ offensive coaching staff.
The 6-foot-2, 224-pound Monds said the main reason for his second visit to Columbus was the opportunity to be coached by Billy Fessler and Ryan Day and participate in a workout that also doubled as a competition. The Florida product played on Ohio State’s “house” team, made up of a combination of players wanting to participate in the event but not belonging to a specific high school team. In other words, Monds had never thrown to any of the wide receivers before, but still looked prolific as a passer and dominated the competition.
“Coach Fessler has done a good job coaching me to help teach me techniques to make my throws more accurate,” Monds said at the seven-on-seven tournament. “Help my feet be more on time with my throws, really I’m learning everything on the fly. It’s been a great experience so far.
“It’s amazing getting coached by the national champs. They have a history of producing good quarterbacks. So it’s been great to get one-on-one time with those two guys.”
Ohio State offered Monds on Jan. 30, 10 days after the Buckeyes won the national championship.
“It means a lot,” Monds said of the offer. “Of course, they’re a prestigious program and just came off winning the national championship when they offered.”
Of course, it’s incredibly early in that cycle, with the Buckeyes only having one commitment from a 2028 player (running back Elijah Newman-Hall). But two quarterbacks are immediately standing out as top OSU targets, fellow Florida quarterback Neimann Lawrence and Monds.
“Really their coaching staff,” Monds said of the biggest thing that stands out about Ohio State. “They’re so down to earth and so humble. They make me feel welcome and everybody is super nice. No matter who it is, everyone is just super happy and it’s a great place to be at.”
Monds is the former high school teammate of Ohio State linebacker Tarvos Alford, who has told the young signal caller nothing but positive things about the Buckeyes.
“Whenever I talk to him about Ohio State, he says it’s great,” Monds said. “He wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t. He says he has a great time up here.”
As a freshman for Vero Beach High School (Vero Beach, Florida), Monds threw for 2,234 yards and 23 passing touchdowns to just five interceptions. He also ran for 502 yards and nine touchdowns.
“I think I can make any throw on the field with my arm strength,” Monds said. “Also, I can run the ball too. Those two combinations with my intelligence, it helps a lot.”
Monds says he’s too early in his process to determine specific schools that are near the top of his recruitment, but he’s focusing on getting better each day and improving his relationship with teams when he can. He doesn’t have any fall visits planned as of yet, but says he would “love” to return to OSU this season for a gameday visit.
