James Madison As a true
freshman in 2023, Ponds appeared in all 13 games with ten starts for the Dukes, where he totaled 51 tackles, 13 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown. For his performance, he earned Freshman All-American and second-team all-
Sun Belt Conference honors. After the season, Ponds entered his name into the
NCAA transfer portal.
Indiana Ponds transferred to play for the
Indiana Hoosiers. and was named the
Big Ten Conference defensive player of the week. After a 38–3 win over
Alabama in the
2026 Rose Bowl, Ponds was named defensive player of the game. On the first snap of the
2026 Peach Bowl, Ponds scored a pick-six against Oregon and was named defensive player of the game. On January 13, 2026, the City of
Bloomington temporarily renamed the retention pond at Millers-Shower Park “D’Angelo’s Pond” in recognition of his performance in the
2026 Peach Bowl. ==Professional career==