After a season that culminated in a national championship, former Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds took the stage at the NFL Combine. With a myriad of topics, the All-Big Ten selection opened up regarding familiar ones. The corner held court with football media in attendance.
CB D’Angelo Ponds Discusses Curt Cignetti, Fernando Mendoza, and the Future
While people mostly see the combine as a physical testing event, words matter. The 2025 First-Team All-American stood at the podium to field questions. Ponds discussed his first visit to Indiana. There, the head coach offered his take on the Hoosiers’ future.
“We were meeting with Coach Cig. We were going over the schedule and who we’re about to play. My dad was like, ‘We definitely should go to a bowl game, no doubt. Coach Cig looked at him like, ‘Bowl game? We’re going to win it all.”
Indiana star CB D’Angelo Ponds shares his favorite Curt Cignetti story and reveals what the world has learned as of late:
Cignetti always planned to win big at Indiana @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/Roihy1kVZg
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) February 26, 2026
The team finishes the season undefeated with a 16-0 record. In the championship game, ten fourth-quarter points helped the team hoist its first national title. Additionally, the defense picked off Miami quarterback Carson Beck with 44 seconds left, clinching the 27-21 victory.
Early in the quarter, Mendoza scored on a 12-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 24-14. The Heisman winner accounted for 178 yards and one touchdown. California Post writer Vincent Bonsignore provided details about Ponds’ interaction with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not only did the @Raiders meet with Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds at the combine, he said they asked him quite a bit about Fernando Mendoza (and raised the possibility of joining his QB in Vegas)
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) February 26, 2026
“Not only did the @Raiders meet with Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds at the combine; he said they asked him quite a bit about Fernando Mendoza (and raised the possibility of joining his QB in Vegas).”
According to my multiple outlets, Mendoza will be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders own the pick and, according to media members, have no intention of trading it. With new head coach Klint Kubiak in tow, the team hopes to build a young offense.
Currently, they have running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers as two of their cornerstones. Last month, Kubiak won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks.
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If the Raiders discussed the possibility of Ponds joining Mendoza in the desert, with 10 picks, they have the draft capital to pull it off. The PFSN Mock Draft Simulator projects Ponds as the No. 41 player in this draft class. At five-foot-nine and 173 pounds, he does not possess the length that scouts and coaches prefer.
However, what he does possess is long speed, agility, and a willingness to tackle. Of his 169 career tackles, 112 were solo. He missed just one tackle during the season. Most importantly, as a cover corner, Ponds can play the solo or outside. He intercepted seven passes, returning two for touchdowns. Ponds did not allow a touchdown in coverage.
With new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, the Raiders will use a 3-4 defense. For Ponds, whether he plays man or zone is still undecided. However, Leonard was an assistant to Mike McDonald in Baltimore. In Seattle, the defense would run zone coverage 80.4% of the time. The NFL draft takes place from April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh.
