D'Angelo Ponds has been one of the faces of Indiana's during its rise to prominence, and he is not hiding what this trip south for the national championship means to him.
"My hometown for a Natty... against a team who never recruited me, it's going to be a great feeling," the Hoosiers cornerback said in a postgame interview after Indiana clinched its spot in the College Football Playoff title game.
Ponds was under-recruited despite a standout career at Miami's Chaminade Madonna High School. He was labeled undersized and was overlooked as a high school prospect.
“My hometown for a Natty… against a team who never recruited me, it’s going to be a great feeling.”@IndianaFootball Defensive MVP @DangeloPondss tells @colecubelic he’s already looking forward to the National Championship against Miami. pic.twitter.com/dWj2bIMvNb
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) January 10, 2026
D'Angelo Ponds feels like he has something to prove
In Indiana's 56-22 Peach Bowl semifinal win over Oregon, Ponds was named the game's defensive MVP. He intercepted Oregon quarterback Dante Moore on the Ducks' first snap and returned it for a touchdown.
The national title game is set for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, with Indiana facing Miami in the Hurricanes' home stadium. For Ponds, the stage comes with a personal edge. He is a Miami native who played his high school ball in South Florida before going to James Madison and then transferring to Indiana.
At James Madison in 2023, Ponds made an immediate impact as a true freshman cornerback. He was named second-team All-Sun Belt and piled up multiple freshman and All-America-type honors. After that season, he moved to the Big Ten, transferring to Indiana ahead of the 2024 campaign, following head coach Curt Cignetti.
Ponds was a first-team All-Big Ten cornerback and a second-team All-American in 2024 and has been great in 2025.
- 2023 (James Madison): 52 total tackles (33 solo), 12 passes defended, 2 interceptions.
- 2024 (Indiana): 55 total tackles (35 solo), 9 passes defended, 3 interceptions, 1 interception return TD.
- 2025 (Indiana): 55 total tackles (38 solo), 7 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions, 1 interception return TD.
The Hurricanes reached the championship by beating Ole Miss 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal. Indiana opened as a 7.5-point favorite and is hoping to secure the program's first football title ever. Miami is chasing its first national title since 2001.