D'Angelo Ponds

D'Angelo Ponds is an American college football cornerback for the Indiana Hoosiers. He previously played for the James Madison Dukes.

Early life

Ponds was born in Miami, Florida and attended Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida. He was rated as a three-star recruit when he committed to play college football for the James Madison Dukes.

College career

James Madison

As a true freshman in 2023, Ponds appeared in all 13 games with ten starts for the Dukes, where he totaled 51 tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown. For his performance, he earned Freshman All-American and second-team all-Sun Belt Conference honors. After the season, Ponds entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

Indiana

Ponds transferred to play for the Indiana Hoosiers. In week 9 of the 2024 season, he notched two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, in a win over Washington, and was named the Big Ten Conference defensive player of the week. After a 38–3 win over Alabama in the 2026 Rose Bowl, Ponds was named defensive player of the game. On the first snap of the 2026 Peach Bowl, Ponds scored a pick-six against Oregon and was named defensive player of the game.
On January 13, 2026, the City of Bloomington temporarily renamed the retention pond at Millers-Shower Park “D’Angelo’s Pond” in recognition of his performance in the 2026 Peach Bowl.