CB: D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Arguably no player used the college football playoffs to raise their draft stock more than D’Angelo Ponds.
Ponds, a Miami, Florida native, was another player that followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison University to Indiana, playing their part to perfection for a national championship. The 2025 First-Team All-American finished his senior campaign with 44 solo tackles, two interceptions and a Big Ten-leading 11 pass deflections. Additionally, his 89.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) was the seventh-highest of all cornerbacks in college football.
In the CFB playoffs, he recorded 12 solo tackles, three pass deflections and an pick six in a Peach Bowl blowout against Oregon. He was named Defensive Player of the Game for the Rose Bowl and Defensive Most Outstanding Player for the Peach Bowl.
Any skepticism surrounding Ponds going into the NFL Draft is due to his size, standing at 5-foot-9, 173 pounds. Therefore, showcasing first-class athleticism in live drills at the Combine could go a long way for the talented cornerback.
“Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity,” said Zierlein. “He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption.”