When Curt Cignetti made the move from James Madison to Indiana it was a tide that truly lifted many boats. Their 2025 national championship roster contained seven James Madison transfers, many of which were very important contributors for the Hoosiers.
This group of seven included Elijah “Waffle House” Sarratt (their second leading receiver and likely day two pick), defensive lineman Mikail Kamara (another likely day two pick), second leading rusher (who topped a 1,000 yards) Kaelon Black and star cornerback D’Angelo Ponds.
Advertisement
The last name on that list, Ponds, declared for the NFL Draft on Friday. Ponds, tide lifting boats, yes this was intentional.
Ponds, a Miami native who got to experience the ectasy of winning a national championship in his hometown, currently projects as a 4th rounder, or thereabouts. He’s just on the cusp of being a top 100 overall prospect, but his lack of size holds him back. At 5’9″ and 170 pounds, he’s undersized to be an every down cornerback in the NFL, but he could be a starting nickel.
Ponds has a nose for the football, and he plays an aggressive attacking style that should translate well to the next level. You saw these traits in action during the national title game, and that’s why he’s developed such a great reputation as a ball hawk. Of course, he can be a bit of a riverboat gambler, in coverage some times, and that can backfire.
Durability concerns aside, Ponds has elite top end speed, so he should test very well, in all the 40-yard-dashes, shuttle runs etc. He really is the type of prospect that Al Davis would have loved. While taller receivers can exploit him on jump balls, Ponds would absolutely thrive in a system that is heavy on blitz packaging, due to the manner in which he plays the game.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: D’Angelo Ponds, a national champion and mid-round projection, declared