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Indiana football has had an eventful offseason to say the least. As Curt Cignetti prepares for his first season at the helm of the Hoosiers, TheHoosier.com is doing position-by-position previews of the Indiana roster. Up next, defensive backs.

Last season, the Indiana defense was picked apart in the passing game, allowing a league-high 394 yards per game.

Far too many times, receivers were wide open down field, resulting in big plays at inopportune times.

Veterans Phillip Dunnam, Kobee Minor, and Nic Toomer highlighted the secondary, but a lack of leadership and accountability led to mistakes.

The Hoosier defense had an uncanny ability last season to keep themselves on the field with foolish penalties at inopportune times.

A lack of discipline was seen far too many times from Tom Allen's defense.

Curt Cignetti brought in a slew of transfers during the offseason, bringing in a quality class of athletes, especially in the defensive back room.

Curt Cignetti brought over many of his top defensive players from his Sun-Belt champion James Madison Dukes last season.

The first was linebacker Aidan Fisher, who has more than proved his ability to quarterback the defense this season.

However, it will be the freshman All-American D'Angelo Ponds who will be the X-Factor for the Hoosiers.

Ponds, a sophomore transfer from Miami, Florida, finished last season with two interceptions and ranked 11th nationally in passes defended with 15.

Cignetti had high praise for Ponds in his August 6th meeting with the press after fall camp.

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

Ponds' leadership on and off the field will make him captain of the secondary. The hope is that he can take this new leadership role to push his teammates to new heights this season.

Although last season wasn't quite the year members of Indiana's defense had hoped it would be, it was a year of growth for guys like redshirt senior Josh Sanguinetti and redshirt sophomore Jamari Sharpe.

Sanguinetti, who has been in Bloomington since the 2019 season and is now the longest-term Hoosier on the roster, will most likely be the lead safety of the defensive backs this season.

Sanguinetti had a solid season, securing two interceptions and 19 tackles.

There is hope that Sanguinetti will continue his successful ways this season.

Sharpe enters the 2024 season and is hopeful to return to the safety position as a starter after being thrown into the fire last year in the secondary because of injuries.

The Miami, Florida native had his lone interception in the Michigan State game last season, the first of his career.

Although there is no official word yet, Sharpe has put himself in position to be in position for the starting job in the secondary this season.

The combination of returners and transfers should be a perfect recipe for a much improved defense in Bloomington.

CORNERBACKS

STARTERS: D'Angelo Ponds (So), Jamari Sharpe (R-So)

ROTATION: Jamier Johnson (R-Jr), JoJo Johnson (R-Sr), Cedarius Doss (R-Sr+)

SAFETIES

STARTERS: Shawn Asbury II (Sr), Josh Sanguinetti (R-Sr+)

ROTATION: DJ Warnell Jr. (Sr+), Nic Toomer (R-Sr)

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