2024 Football Roster
Oct 25 (Sat)
TBA
D'Angelo Ponds
- Position:
- DB
- Ht./Wt.:
- 5-9 / 170
- Year:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Miami, Fla.
- High School:
- Chaminade Madonna
- Prev School:
- James Madison
CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Appeared 29 career games with 25 starts ... Played in 13 games with 10 starts over one season at James Madison (2023) ... Named second-team All-America by six outlets in 2024 ... Tabbed Freshman All-America by Football Writers Association of America in 2023 ... Semifinalist for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award in 2023 ... First-team All-Big Ten pick in 2024 ... Second-team All-Sun Belt as a true freshman in 2023 ... Owns one career double-digit tackle game.
NCAA Active Leaders: Ranks No. 3 nationally and leads the Big Ten in passes defended (29) ... Tied for No. 8 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten in punt return touchdowns (2) ... Tied for No. 9 in FBS and No. 1 in the Big Ten in non-offensive touchdowns (2) .. Sits No. 23 nationally and No. 6 in the Big Ten in interceptions (6).
2025 (Junior Season)
Season: Started three games.
Old Dominion (8/30): Made four tackles - all solo - with one interception and one pass breakup ... Had a solo tackle for loss in the second quarter to force a punt ... Interception came in the fourth quarter. Kennesaw State (9/6): Posted four tackles ... Logged a solo tackle for loss in the first quarter. Indiana State (9/12): Had two tackles ... Notched a solo tackle for loss in the third quarter.
2024 (Sophomore Season)
Awards: Garnered second-team All-America honors from The Athletic, CBS Sports, ESPN, Football Writers Association of American, Phil Steele and USA Today ... Earned first-team All-Big Ten from the conference coaches and media ... Tabbed first-team All-Big Ten by the Associated Press ... Named Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week, Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week, Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after a two-interception game against Washington (10/26).
Season: Appeared in all 13 games with 12 starts ... Missed first half against Charlotte (9/21) due to a targeting penalty in the second half at UCLA ... Rated the top cornerback in the Big Ten and No. 9 in Power 4 (84.2) per Pro Football Focus ... Made Indiana debut against FIU (8/31) in the season opener ... One of 27 transfer student-athletes to make Indiana debut in 2024 ... One of 17 transfers to make a start for IU in 2024 ... Part of a defense that set program bests for lowest opponent scoring average (15.6) and fewest yards of total offense (3,332) and total offense per game (256.3).
FIU (8/31): Made Indiana debut ... Logged six tackles ... Added one pass breakup. Western Illinois (9/6): Chipped in one stop. at UCLA (9/14): Made four stops ... Added one pass breakup. Charlotte (9/21): Totaled two tackles ... Missed first half after targeting call in second half at UCLA. Maryland (9/28): Posted 10 tackles with 0.5 tackle for loss ... Broke up one pass ... Combined with Jailin Walker on second-quarter tackle for loss. at Northwestern (10/5): Totaled five tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and two pass breakups ... Tallied solo tackle for loss in the second quarter. Nebraska (10/19): Made seven stops with six solo ... Logged solo tackle for loss in the second quarter. Washington (10/26): Posted first-career multi-interception game to garner multiple national weekly honors ... Added five tackles and combined on a tackle for loss ... Both interceptions came in the first half ... Broke through with a 67-yard pick-6 of Will Rogers III to open the scoring in the first quarter ... Grabbed a Rogers III pass in the second quarter for his first collegiate multi-interception game and the first multi-pick Big Ten game for a Hoosier since Jamar Johnson at Ohio State in 2020 ... Joined Isaiah Jones on a tackle for loss in the third quarter. at Michigan State (10/26): Part of a defense that held Michigan State to a program-record minus-36 rushing yards in the game ... Blocked a second-quarter punt that went out of the Spartan end zone for a safety ... Added four tackles ... Combined with Mikail Kamara on a first-quarter tackle for loss. Michigan (11/9): Defense held its fifth opponent under 200-yards passong with 137 yards allowed through the air ... The unit held an opposing offense to less than 300-yards of total offense for the sixth time in 2024 ... Posted one tackle ... Added one pass breakup on Michigan’s final drive of the first half. at Ohio State (11/23): Piled up six tackles ... Added three pass breakups. Purdue (11/30): Part of a defense that help Purdue to a program-low 67 yards of total offense ... Limited the Boilermakers to just 54 yards passing to mark the sixth opponent in 2024 held under 200 yards passing ... Had two solo stops ... Made solo tackle for loss in the first quarter. at Notre Dame (12/20): Intercepted a first-quarter pass and returned it 3 yards ... Added two tackles.
2023 (Freshman Season - James Madison)
Awards: Tabbed Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America … One of 14 semifinalists for Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year … Tabbed College Football Network second-team All-America, Freshman All-America and Freshman Cornerback of the Year … Tabbed second-team All-Sun Belt.
Rankings: Finished No. 11 in FBS in passes defended (15).
Season: Appeared in all 13 games with 10 starts … Made collegiate debut against Bucknell (9/2) … First collegiate start came at Utah State (9/23) with first collegiate interception … Started the final 10 games of the season …
Bucknell (9/2): Made collegiate debut. at Virginia (9/9): Recovered an Aiden Fisher blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter. at Troy (9/16): Made first career tackle and pass breakup … Posted four tackles … Broke up two passes. at Utah State (9/23): Made first collegiate start … Sealed the victory with an interception with 43 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter in a seven-point game … Posted four stops … Broke up two passes. South Alabama (9/30): Totaled five tackles … Made two pass breakups. Georgia Southern (10/14): Logged four tackles … Broke up one pass. at Marshall (10/19): Made five tackles … Collected first career tackle for loss in the third quarter … Notched two pass breakups. Old Dominion (10/28): Broke up two passes … Added seven tackles. at Georgia State (11/4): Posted two tackles … Broke up one pass … Made solo tackle for loss in the second quarter. UConn (11/11): Totaled eight stops. Appalachian State (11/18): Had seven tackles … Recovered first career fumble in the third quarter on a James Carpenter forced fumble … Broke up one pass … Intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter in JMU territory in a tie game. at Coastal Carolina (11/25): Logged four stops … Recovered a third-quarter fumble that was forced by Jailin Walker. vs. Air Force (12/23): Made one stop.
