Indiana football sophomore cornerback D’Angelo Ponds lined up on Saturday against one of the most formidable receivers in the Big Ten, Washington’s towering 6-foot-4 wideout Denzel Boston. Nobody in the Big Ten had been able to figure out a way to slow down Boston, who entered the game top five in the Big Ten in receptions and receiving yards, while leading the conference with nine receiving touchdowns.
However, Boston was shut down by Ponds. Despite giving up seven inches and nearly 40 pounds, Ponds had his way with Boston throughout Indiana’s 31-17 win over Washington on Saturday afternoon.
Instead of withering under the pressure, Ponds delivered a masterclass performance, holding Boston to just 43 receiving yards on four catches, notching a pair of interceptions as well – one of which he returned 67 yards for his first career pick six that sent the Memorial Stadium crowd into a frenzy in the first quarter.
His performance proved instrumental in the Hoosiers’ weekend win, reinforcing Ponds’ place among the top defensive backs in the conference.
"Those are the guys I want to go against," Ponds said postgame. “That's the reason I came to the Big Ten, to go against guys like that and play against top competition."
Ponds’ fierce commitment to improving each and every day is exactly what Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti says separates Ponds from most of his peers. Cignetti has watched Ponds grow from a two-star recruit entering the 2023 season last year at James Madison to one of the Big Ten’s most feared cornerbacks in just over a year.
“He’s a competitor, and he wants to be great,” Cignetti said. “He does the things that help him improve on a daily basis, and that’s his goal. He wants to be the best football player he can be. He loves the process and everything that goes into that.”
The Miami, Florida native’s first interception of the day — and of the season – came on a remarkable and rather fortuitous play in the first quarter.
"I was blitzing, and [Tyrique Tucker] tipped the ball and it went right to me. It's just a testament of trusting the process and being where you got to be and the ball will come to you," cornerback D'Angelo Ponds said. "It felt unreal, that was my first career pick six."
Ponds’ performance against Washington wasn’t an outlier. He’s been locking down the top targets in the conference all season long. In his first season playing at Big Ten level, Ponds has already shut down some of the conference’s top receivers, including Maryland’s Tai Felton and Nebraska’s Isaiah Neyor.
Felton, the Big Ten leader in receptions and receiving yards, managed just 38 yards in the first half against Ponds before an injury sidelined him for the second half. Three weeks later, Neyor, a 6-foot-4 wideout for the Cornhuskers, was held to just 13 yards on two catches, never finding space against Ponds’ suffocating defense.
Defensive end Mikail Kamara, a fellow James Madison transfer, began to take note of Ponds’ ability last season when the two shared the field in Harrisonburg for the Dukes.
"I [would be] pass rushing, the ball would get out and then Ponds would just smack it down," Kamara said, reflecting on what he saw from Ponds during the 2023 season. “Every single time. Every time they would try Ponds, it never worked."
"He's just a dog, that's what it comes down to," Kamara continued. "We pride ourselves on winning our one-on-one's, and he wins his one-on-one's every single time. You can put on the tape; he doesn't lose."
Ponds’ transition from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten has been seamless this season. His freshman campaign with the Dukes ended with Ponds earning Freshman All-American honors and second-team All-Sun Belt nod. This season, Ponds has elevated his game against the tougher Big Ten competition. He’s not just another talented transfer on a roster full of them, he’s a defensive playmaker who thrives in the spotlight.
“People call it pressure, but that’s the way I like it,” Ponds said. “Pressure is privilege, like they say. There definitely has been pressure on me, but I just be me.”
For Cignetti, Ponds’ success isn’t a surprise. Instead, it’s a testament to the corrnerback’s ability to compete at one of the highest levels of college football.
"He's a good player, and he wanted to step up and play against competition at the highest level," Cignetti said. "He's shown that he's more than capable."
"I don't know what it is," Kamara chimed in. "He just has that dog in him where he knows, when the ball is coming his way he's going to go make a play on it."
It’s easy to see why Ponds has already become one of the top cornerbacks in the conference this season. He may not have the height or the build of some other guys, but he more than makes up for it with his skill, intelligence and an unwavering drive to be great.
His performance against the Huskies is just the latest chapter in what’s shaping up to be an unforgettable season for Ponds and the Hoosiers. If Ponds has his way, this is only the beginning for a player that combines incredible ability with an unrelenting desire to get better.
"I'm a hard worker too, not just talented,” Ponds said. “I work for it.”
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