In the 2026 Rose Bowl, Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds blasts the ball loose from Alabama QB Ty Simpson.

Regular readers know Joe cringes when folks hype what a guy did at the combine to mean he’s a superior football player.

OK, cool, the guy bounced around cones and ran around in shorts indoors. That’s nice. But what did he do on a football field?

Measurements, Joe has a strong hunch, will keep Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds out of the first round next week in the NFL draft. And maybe, just maybe, push one of college football’s best corners to Day 3. But there’s one major element that cannot be measured at the combine: heart.

Ponds plays football with a full heart, and then some.

One draft analyst doesn’t believe in measurements. He believes in ball. And that would be Emory Hunt of CBS, the Czar of the Playbook. Ponds stands 5-8, 181 pounds, tiny by NFL standards.

Hunt doesn’t care because Ponds can ball. Hunt has Ponds as his No. 1 cornerback in the draft, listed in his Football GamePlan Draft Guide 2026.

* Excellent press-bail and bail technique. Able to explode into and out of the break and make a beeline to the football. His click-and-close ability is A+.

* Competes at a high level despite his stature. Strong run defender and is an above average blitzer off the corner. Despite giving up some pounds in the weight department, he’s still a very dependable tackler.

* A+ ball skills and ball awareness; won’t miss an opportunity to turn the ball over.

After speaking with several NFL scouts, veteran NFL scribe Bob McGinn of GoLongTD.com has Ponds as his No. 6 corner.

6. D’ANGELO PONDS, Indiana (5-8 ½, 181, 4.37, 2): First Hoosiers defensive back to make first team All-Big Ten in two seasons since safety Mike Dumas in 1989-’90. “He could walk in the door and be a nickel,” one scout said. Played outside on the right for the national champions. “I don’t know how he plays on the outside,” a second scout said shortly before IU pro day. “He’s a really good football player but I don’t know if has the traits to be a good corner in the NFL. He got the most he could out of what he has. He’ll have to run fast at that size and I don’t know if he will.” On the April 1 pro day he ran a blazing 40. His vertical jump (43 ½) at the combine led the position. “He’s a baller,” a second scout said. “I don’t like small corners typically but as competitive as he is, he’s a nuisance. I like him a lot but the size is always going to be an issue.” Started 10 games at James Madison in 2023 and then 26 for IU in 2024-’25. “He’s the exception to the rule,” said a third scout. “You really don’t want to draft him in the second but he’s gonna get drafted and will play. He has the football mentality. He’s fearless. He can play the nickel for sure, but he’s going to have to play the nickel like Philly does. In other words, he can be near the box but he can’t be in the box. He can play man coverage. He can’t be in the box and blitzing off the edge. Every time you see a small corner he’s on his second or third team already. Guy’s a tough dude. He hits, man. I love him, but how much balls do you have drafting him? Even in the third round you’d be scared.” Finished with 169 tackles, seven picks, 33 passes defensed and one forced fumble. Defensive MVP of both the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl. “He makes plays in all situations,” a fourth scout said. “He’s one of those guys that you want to not like but you always end up liking him. The size doesn’t necessarily bother me ever as long as you have the length. He was on Jeremiah Smith’s high-school team so he’s used to competing against big guys. So that’s not gonna bother him at all.” Arms were 29 3/8, shortest of the top 15 corners. Played with Ohio State’s Smith (6-3, 215) at Chaminade Madonna, leading the team to state titles in 2021 and ’22. Added a fifth scout: “Little tiny guy, but every time I saw him he was making a play. He made a lot of plays. Fourth round. At worst, he’s a role starter.” From West Park, Fla.

Ponds had a solid game against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. He switched between covering the best receiver in college football, his former high school teammate Jeremiah Smith, and a likely first-round pick next week, Carnell Tate.

Ponds was targeted six times in that game by Buckeyes quarterback Justin Sayin and Ponds forced four incompletions and allowed just one catch.

In the Rose Bowl against Alabama, Ponds destroyed Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson on a blitz, forcing a fumble in an Indiana rout.

Against Oregon in the playoffs, Ponds was named the Peach Bowl Defensive MVP after a 25-yard pick-six on the game’s first play from scrimmage.

In the national championship game against Miami, Ponds was targeted six times, allowing one catch for one yard while forcing four incompletions.

So it seems Ponds rises to the occasion.

Joe has nothing against Ponds. But man, at 5-8, 181, this guy could get broken in half in the NFL before he bulks up. However, neither Jacob Parrish nor Antoine Winfield, Jr. measured 5-10 before they were drafted.

If the Bucs want to take a flyer on Ponds on the second night, Joe wouldn’t chug battery acid. The guy may not live to see the end of his rookie contract, though.

The scouts McGinn talked to seem convinced Ponds can play nickel. Draft him, put him at nickel, then flip Jacob Parrish to outside corner. Joe’s good with that.

#Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds is a DAWG.

Super competitive player with a great physical presence, strength at the catch point, and a super reliable tackler. Will be a Day 1 starter in the nickel. pic.twitter.com/9HG18edY84

— Andy (@AndyyNFL) February 20, 2026