Standing in the west end zone inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds put both hands together to create the “U” — the University of Miami’s emblem.
Then he flipped the “U,” symbolizing Indiana football defeating the Hurricanes. It was a redemption against his hometown team that didn’t recruit him. That moment was the final in Ponds’ Indiana career, as he is slated to forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility and declare for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
He confirmed his plans Thursday during a fan event at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers in Bloomington.
“I haven’t officially announced it,” Ponds said of his NFL decision, “but yeah, that’s the plan.”
Ponds was a three-star recruit in 2023 out of Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in Miami. He started 10 of 13 games during his lone season at James Madison University before becoming the last of 13 Dukes to follow head coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana ahead of the 2024 season.
Ponds started 28 of 29 games across his two seasons with the Hoosiers — the lone exception being against Iowa on Sept. 27 with an injury.
The 5-foot-9, 173-pound Ponds, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree, totaled 118 tackles and 20 pass deflections as a Hoosier. He notched five interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns — one against Washington in 2024 and the other in the Peach Bowl versus Oregon on Jan. 9.
Ponds was named a second-team All-American in 2024 before earning first-team honors in 2025. The Miami native’s ability to shut down the opponents’ top receiver played an instrumental role in Indiana’s defensive prowess.
Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines planned for contests with the understanding that Ponds could cover half the field, as he described him as the “best man corner in the country.”
In all, Ponds will be remembered as one of the key cogs in turning the once dormant Indiana football into the national champions.
“He might be the best player I've ever coached that was with me throughout his entire career in terms of consistency, production,” Cignetti said Jan. 17.
Now, as a projected second-round selection, Ponds is headed to the NFL.
“Going to war with my guys, I know I’m going to miss that,” Ponds said. “I miss it already.”
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and columnist Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa and qmrichar@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
