Ponds Island? D'Angelo Ponds Wouldn’t Shy Away From It

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

He may be slight in frame, but through the first couple weeks of practice, 5’9” 170-pound D’Angelo Ponds has brought no shortage of game.

Expectations were high for Ponds after being one of the most sought-after defenders in the transfer portal. Though he played primarily on special teams for the first two games of his true freshman season, his talent was too much to keep him in this limited capacity for long. In the final eleven games last season, he took over the outside corner position for Cignetti’s James Madison Dukes and finished the year ranked 11th nationally in passes defended. He was targeted 66 times but allowed only 30 receptions.

So far through spring camp, he has picked up right where he left off.

“I don't know if we have beat him yet on a pass route," Cignetti said of Ponds. "He's just swallowing that side of the field. He's a good guy for everybody else to watch in terms of how to do it."

Though he is entering just his second season in college football, he is already a player that fellow members of the defensive secondary know they can turn to for advice.

“We're just competing, coming in and pushing each other, helping each other get better on certain things,” said Ponds. “They'll come and ask me what I think they should get better at, and I ask them the same thing. So, we're all just competing.”

And lined up across competing against them offensively are no slouches. 6’5” Donaven McCulley and 6’2” Elijah Sarratt are regularly looking to expose them, just to name a few. Ponds sees no issue in these kinds of challenges.

“I feel like we've got one of the better receiver rooms in the conference,” he said. “We just get each other better every day. Going against those guys gets me better, so when a game comes it's easy.”

His coaches are not the only ones taking notice of him. On Tuesday, College Football Network honored Ponds with three different preseason honors, including Big Ten Newcomer of the Year, Preseason Big Ten Defensive Newcomer of the Year, and Preseason Big Ten Defensive Transfer of the Year.

He credits any recognition he receives to his knack for the ball.

“You definitely have got to have a nose for the ball. Me being undersized, I've got to do everything to separate myself, and running to the ball is one. That's one thing I harp on, just running to the ball, getting to the ball, and making plays.”

There will be plenty of plays for him to make very soon.

Continue following along with all of Hoosier Huddle’s coverage of Indiana Football as we draw closer to the Hoosiers’ opening kickoff against FIU on August 31st.