Indiana star cornerback D'Angelo Ponds is joining Fernando Mendoza in the 2026 NFL Draft pool.
The junior began the season as one of the top cornerbacks in the country and has been expected to declare for the draft for months. He officially made the decision on Friday, four days after winning the national championship, according to On3 Sports reporter Hayes Fawcett.
Ponds is currently the 10th-best cornerback of the 2026 NFL Draft class, according to ESPN, and the ninth-best by Pro Football Focus. He is projected to be a late Day Two or early Day Three pick in April.
Although Ponds' 5-foot-9 frame makes him an undersized NFL cornerback, his athleticism and ball skills jump off the page. Despite being just a three-star recruit out of high school, Ponds could bolster his draft stock with a strong performance at the NFL Combine.
Ponds enters the draft after posting 60 tackles, 10 pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 2025. He has 31 pass breakups and seven interceptions in his three-year college football career.
D'Angelo Ponds enters draft after College Football Playoffs
Ponds arguably had Indiana's best highlight of its 2025-2026 College Football Playoff National Championship run. He scored his only touchdown of the year on the first play of the Peach Bowl against Oregon, picking off Dante Moore and returning it for a 25-yard touchdown.
D'ANGELO PONDS PICK SIX ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE GAME 😱pic.twitter.com/aq2YspoDt5
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 10, 2026
Ponds was also the highest-graded player in the National Championship Game on PFF, earning an 88.7 player grade in Indiana's win over Miami. He only allowed one catch for one yard in the game while forcing four incompletions.
Ponds becomes the second Hoosier to officially declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, following Mendoza. They are expected to be joined by roughly a dozen of their teammates, including receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., linebacker Aiden Fisher and running back Roman Hemby.
Like Mendoza, Ponds also won the national title in his hometown of Miami. The 20-year-old attended Chaminade-Madonna College Prep School in Hollywood, Florida, before committing to Curt Cignetti and the James Madison Dukes in 2023.
