Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti is set to oversee a haul of former Hoosiers prospects being picked by NFL teams on draft night, headlined by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be picked No. 1 overall. Despite having a stellar season, former Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has flown under the radar during the pre-draft process.
D’Angelo Ponds Credits Curt Cignetti’s Impact on His NFL Draft Rise
Ponds became a folk hero in Bloomington for his performances during the Hoosiers’ unprecedented College Football Playoff run, which culminated in a national championship appearance.
In a snippet posted on X on Monday of the “Hey Rookie” segment by the NFL, Ponds credited Cignetti with helping him to become a talented draft prospect.
“I will go with what coach Cignetti’s saying, fast, physical and relentless,” Ponds said. “Coach Cignetti playing me as a freshman at JMU and him trusting me out of high school when other coaches didn’t believe in me, that’s the reason I went with him out of the portal.
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“I would be lying if I told you that I thought we were gonna win a national championship. The last two years have been the best two years of my life.”
Ponds committed to the James Madison Dukes as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023. He played in all 13 games as a freshman, starting 10, before following Cignetti to Indiana, where they shocked college football by clinching a College Football Playoff berth in Year 1.
The diminutive cornerback was one of the cornerstones of the Indiana defense last season, tallying 43 solo tackles, one forced fumble, one touchdown, two interceptions, and 10 passes defended, earning a PFSN College Cornerback Impact score of 87.8.
In his three-year college football career spanning James Madison and Indiana, he managed 167 total tackles, seven interceptions, two touchdowns, and 33 passes defended. In his latest player-to-team fit article, ESPN draft analyst Matt Bowen paired Ponds to the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 55 pick on draft night.
“Under new coordinator Chris O’Leary, the Chargers will likely play a lot of zone match coverage. That would cater to the ability of Ponds, who has the short-area speed to close on the ball and can match up well on intermediate routes,” Bowen wrote.
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“Ponds is also competitive at the catch point, finishing with two interceptions and 10 pass breakups last season. And he’s a competitive run defender despite his size.”
Ponds was named the Defensive Player of the Game after the Hoosiers’ 38-3 win against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl. He also clinched the Defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl after a standout performance against the Oregon Ducks, which included a pick-six to further boost his draft stock.
