Notre Dame football recruiting and the 2027 quarterback class have been a hot topic of conversation with Nebraska holding a commitment from the top-ranked quarterback in the cycle, and one that Fighting Irish fans are very familiar with. Head coach Marcus Freeman and the offensive staff chose a different path, and the results may prove them right.

Omaha (Neb.) Millard South quarterback Trae Taylor has been a heck of an addition for Nebraska, sitting as the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 11 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class (per the 247 Sports Composite) after recent updates.

Taylor experienced a massive rise in the recruiting world this offseason after a tremendous junior season at Carmel Catholic in Illinois, where he completed over 81% of his passes for 3,571 yards and 38 touchdowns against only three interceptions. The 6-3, 192-pound passer also carried the ball 77 times for 633 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

Taylor was once a name to know for Notre Dame’s 2027 quarterback recruiting board, particularly since he was originally from Illinois. There was legitimate mutual interest at one time, specifically on Taylor’s side.

The Fighting Irish, however, chose to prioritize other quarterbacks over Taylor during the process. With some now calling Taylor potentially the next CJ Stroud, questions have surfaced about the evaluation from Freeman, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli.

The optics vs. the reality

On the surface, not prioritizing the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class when you had a legitimate chance at him does not look great optically. When you start to dig deeper, though, Notre Dame’s process ended up netting them two talented quarterbacks for the future of the room after CJ Carr.

The original 2027 quarterback the Irish held a commitment from was Georgia star Teddy Jarrard, who they prioritized over players like Taylor during that cycle. Jarrard eventually reclassified to the 2026 class, joining Noah Grubbs and creating an opportunity for Notre Dame to add even more quarterback depth to the 2027 group.

That became especially important considering the possibility that Carr opts to leave after next season for the 2027 NFL Draft.

That opportunity eventually led Freeman and his staff to Vero Beach (Fla.) High School standout Wonderful “Champ” Monds IV, who was originally a member of the 2028 recruiting class before reclassifying this offseason.

Why Monds’ recruiting rankings don’t tell the full story

Monds’ current recruiting rankings do not reflect the talent that he displays. The 6-2, 225-pound quarterback is a tremendous passer with high upside working in structure and enough athleticism to make big plays outside of the pocket as a runner. If not for an injury-plagued 2025 season, he would more than likely be considered a top-100 player in the 2027 class. He is expected to have a huge senior year, and those recruiting rankings should begin rising as a result.

Notre Dame’s 2-for-1 approach makes sense

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that landing both Monds and Jarrard as a 2-for-1 opportunity over Taylor alone was a good decision on Notre Dame’s part. While Taylor may have been a slight miss in terms of evaluation from the Irish staff, we won’t know that for sure for several years.

In terms of upside, you can also argue that Jarrard has more than Taylor. And if not for the reclassification and injury question around Monds, it is reasonable to argue that he might rank higher than Taylor, but regardless, the raw talent is certainly higher.

Regardless, the future of Notre Dame’s quarterback room is in a good spot even after Carr eventually heads off to the NFL. Jarrard and Monds are players that Notre Dame is extremely high on, and the odds are that this will end up being a great decision on the program’s part — even if Taylor becomes an absolute star for the Cornhuskers.