CFB Zeitgeist Score
65
Solid starter in the position cohort. Carried by passes defended at the 99th percentile.
D'Angelo Ponds
Below the discourse floor — the honest stats-only state.
60 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Where He Ended Up · NFL
New York2026 NFL rookie season
#50Rd 2 · Pick 18
New York2026 NFL rookie season
DB · INDIANA · BIG TEN
D'Angelo Ponds
- 3
- #5
- 5-9 | 170 lb
- West Park, FL
Heisman Heat
#2069
<1% win probability
Fan Belief
Awaiting
Player-specific FI not yet ingested. Falls back to team mood below.
Respect Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
Reality Gap
Awaiting
Coming online with player-level FI.
ACCOLADE PROBABILITY
Heisman
<1%
TOP DB AWARD
Jim Thorpe
—
CONSENSUS
All-American
—
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. A locked-in starting role.
Not on team2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career arc · Season-by-season Standing
3 seasons on the ladder
2023
James Madison · DB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
2024
Indiana · DB
R09 · All-Conference HM / 2nd team
Recognized
★
2025
Indiana · DB
R12 · All-American
Elite
NFL Draft 2026 · Rd 2, Pick 18 · #50 overall · New York
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
R2 · #50
Identity & Role
The durable bio layer: position, size, hometown, and roster role.
Recruiting Pedigree
How big the prospect was before college, and whether the later career arc beat that expectation.
| Class | Profile | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3-star | 0.8256 | No. 1966 recruit | HighSchool | James Madison |
Transfer Arc
Portal movement changes role, context, and perception. This keeps that path in one place.
| Season | Move | Context |
|---|---|---|
| No transfer portal moves on file for this player. | ||
Heisman Lens · 2024 Season · Final
Where the player landed at the end of the listed season — final nowcast rank, win/finalist/ballot probabilities, and the cleanest official Heisman placement on file.
HIGH CONFIDENCE· through week 16Heisman Futures
Not yet listed on major futures markets.
Achievements
- Honors Badge 0.7% Honors Badge Recognized on a major honors list (Heisman, All-American, Davey O'Brien, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Nagurski, Biletnikoff). Held by 0.7% of the 2025 pool. Recognized on: All-America (SI).
Selector Grid · 2025
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN—
SI—
NIL · Recruiting · NFL Draft
Market value, pedigree & pro outcome
Recruit stars
★★★☆☆
to James Madison
Composite
0.8256
#1966 national
NFL Draft
2026 · Rd 2, Pick 18
#50 overall · New York
Today’s Hot-Take
The Hot-Take engine fires when this player’s percentile profile crosses a defensible threshold (top 10% in a cohort, 100+ snap sample). When it’s quiet, the model is honoring its “must be defensible” rule.
Anti-Take
PENDINGThe contrarian read fires when the rules-engine detects a stat that complicates the Hot-Take. Quiet here means the model hasn’t found a defensible counter yet — not that one doesn’t exist.
The Room on D'Angelo Ponds
Fan sentiment · Awaiting signal
The Room reads fan conversation around a player — who’s talking, what they believe, and how that shifts. It publishes once weekly volume rebuilds; for most players that’s in-season, when game-week chatter spikes.
Cohort divergence map
Cohort divergence reads how different fanbases talk about this player. Returns once weekly mentions clear the publish floor.
Rival Radar
How rival fanbases talk about D'Angelo Ponds
No rival-bucket mentions in the current season.
Signature Story
Awaiting candidate metric
He hasn't written his page yet — we'll start filling it in when there are enough snaps to rank against his peers.
Signature Moment
No signature moment on the ledger yet.
Returns once this player puts together a multi-game body of work — single-game flashes alone don't clear the bar.
Season Pace · Projection
Where the defensive totals stand
Through 15g
60Tackles
4Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Per game
4Tackles
0.3Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Final
60Tackles
4Tackles for loss
0Sacks
Why this is a rare defensive case
The fast read on the thing that makes this player more than a generic stat line.
D'Angelo Ponds is trying to climb the steepest award hill in college football: a defensive candidacy. The hook is the disruption profile on Indiana's defense, with 0.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions through the current loaded season. For a defender, the question is never just production; it is whether elite disruption and team context can become nationally undeniable.
2025 Season · Final
Traditional stats first. Advanced context underneath.
Last season
DEF season snapshot
2025 season snapshot | final
2025 season snapshot | finalData: CFBD player stats + local Heisman modelPeer context: same position + same level
Player identity What kind of player is this?
30-second read
What kind of player is this?
High-disruption defender | Coverage splash | High-volume tackler against FBS defenders.
2025 Season · Final
2025 season snapshot | final
Tackling & Disruption
TOT
60 92nd
SOLO
43 97th
TFL
4.0 85th
SACK
0.0 65th
Coverage & Takeaways
PD
10 99th
INT
2 87th
Game Log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 15 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 27-14vs Old Dominion | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 56-9vs Kennesaw State | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 73-0vs Indiana State | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 63-10vs Illinois | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 30-20@ Oregon | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 38-13vs Michigan State | 9 | 5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 9 | W 56-6vs UCLA | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | |
| Wk 10 | W 55-10@ Maryland | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 27-24@ Penn State | 4 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 12 | W 31-7vs Wisconsin | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 14 | W 56-3@ Purdue | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 15 | W 13-10@ Ohio State | 9 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 38-3vs Alabama | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 56-22vs Oregon | 6 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Bowl | W 27-21vs Miami | 5 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 | |
| Total | 60 | 43 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 10 |
Season-by-season tables Career rows + per-season box score
Traditional history
Traditional Stats
Season rows up top, career context at the bottom.
Season context · Team result + system
2023James Madison11-2HC: Damian Wroblewski · Balanced
2024Indiana11-2HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-leaning
2025Indiana16-0HC: Curt Cignetti · Run-heavy
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Indiana | 60 | 43 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Indiana | 55 | 35 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 9 | 3 | -- |
| 2023 | James Madison | 51 | 33 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 2 | -- |
| Career | 3 loaded seasons | 166 | 111 | 10.5 | 0.0 | 30 | 7 | -- |
Advanced layer Usage, value, and context
Advanced metrics second
Advanced Metrics
Usage, value, and opponent-adjusted context.
TFL, sacks, and QB hurries are grouped together because defensive Heisman cases are usually built on visible havoc, not on tackle counts alone.
Pass breakups, interceptions, and forced fumbles matter because national awards voters respond to plays that change possessions and highlight reels.
Every percentile is compared against players at the same position and level, so an FBS quarterback is judged against FBS quarterbacks, not the whole sport.
The top tables stick to the stats fans already know from broadcasts and box scores. Advanced context is pushed underneath instead of replacing the basics.
Open full stat explorer
| Group | Metric | Value | Rank | Pct | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defense | Total tackles | 60 | #401/4942 | 92nd pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | TFL | 4.0 | #738/4972 | 85th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Sacks | 0.0 | #1762/4972 | 65th pct | Disruptionvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Interceptions | 2 | #114/869 | 87th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pass breakups | 10 | #20/2184 | 99th pct | Coveragevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Solo tackles | 43 | #156/4584 | 97th pct | Volumevs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return yards | 25 | #260/578 | 55th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | INT return avg | 12.5 | #319/578 | 45th pct | Takeawaysvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Defensive TD | 3 | #1/200 | 100th pct | Scoringvs FBS DEF |
| Defense | Pick-six TD | 1 | #13/119 | 90th pct | Scoringvs FBS DEF |
Player Standing
Universal 17-step ladder. Tier pills below; accolade streams nested.
ALL-AMERICAN
On-team2-deepStartingRecognizedEliteApex
ALL-AMERICAN · Rung 12 of 16
Why he’s here
All-American — named 1st team by at least one NCAA-recognized selector.
What moves him up
Add selectors to reach Consensus (3 of 5).
What moves him down
Lose the selector and this slips to national-watch territory.
Accolade streams
1st-team selections2×1ST
First-team selections from 2 selectors.
AP—
FWAA—
AFCA—
WCFF—
SN1st
SI1st
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 15 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home10g | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Road5g | 4.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
Win vs Loss
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins15g | 4.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-78g | 3.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Weeks 8+7g | 4.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.9 |
Pocket and defense-quality (clean vs. pressure) splits are coming soon.
Savant · Box-rate percentiles
Where this profile ranks vs the DB cohort
65Solid starter
Elite: passes defended (99th). Strength: solo tackles (94th). Concern: qb hurries (22nd).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Advanced Savant · DB · 2024
Percentile Card
Advanced opponent-adjusted percentile bars are coming soon for this player.
P4G5All FBS
Advanced Savant
Opponent-adjusted advanced metrics with a cohort filter.
Advanced opponent-adjusted metrics are coming soon for this player. Selected cohort: P4.
Peer Comparator · Fingerprint match
Three closest profiles by box-rate percentile
D'Angelo PondsIndianaTahj Ra-ElPurdue· 90% simDevin LafayetteTroy· 83% simTy BenefieldBoise State· 83% sim
Passes defended
Solo tackles
Tackles
Interceptions
Tackles for loss
Sacks
QB hurries
Closest peers by overall box-score percentile profile at the same position.
Player DNA
The Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ronald Kent Jr.’s 2022 season.
Ronald Kent Jr.
88%match
#2
Jaden Dedman
72%
#3
Jordan Clark
70%
#4
Kam Pedescleaux
All-AAC
70%
#5
Tiawan Mullen
69%
Matches Ronald on
PD rate
Height
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Elijah Palmer's junior season at Hawai'i (2025).
Elijah Palmer
77%match
#2
Ronald Kent Jr.
70%
#3
Avieon Terrell
All-ACCNFL Rd 2 · Pk 16
68%
#4
Tank Pearson
All-MAC
69%
#5
Tiawan Mullen
1st-team All-American
68%
Matches Elijah on
Class year
Weight
PD rate
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Curt Cignetti
Pass share
38.7%
404 pass / 641 run
Plays / game
65.3
16 games
OL sack rate (allowed)
7.3%
275 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Coaching Lineage · 2023–2025
2 coaches2023
Tom Allen
Indiana
2024era →
Curt Cignetti
Indiana
2025
Curt Cignetti
Indiana
Coaching transition mid-career: Tom Allen → Curt Cignetti. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Bio · Recruiting · Transfer · Roster
Off-field context — switch tabs to drill into recruit profile, transfer arc, or roster timeline.
HometownWest Park, FL
Height5'9"
Weight170 lb
Class3
PositionDB
Jersey5
No fields populated yet.
No fields populated yet.
Current teamIndiana
ConferenceBig Ten
Joined2025
Career arc3 season(s)
Trophy Case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥇
ALL-AMERICA
Named All-American (2025)
2 selectors honored him
🎖
ALL-CONFERENCE
All-Conf mention (2025)
All-Big Ten
Trophy Case · Detail
Every honor on the ledger, broken out by stream and selector.
2 All-America selections
National selector recognition is one of the strongest non-Heisman signals on a player card and should sit near the top of the showcase.
3 all-conference honors
Conference-level recognition helps anchor whether a player is merely statistically loud or actually viewed as elite within his competitive lane.
Honors Timeline
Season-end distinction and week-by-week recognition on one timeline.
| Season | Honor | Scope | Team / Selector | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | All-America (SI) | all_america | SI | DB |
| 2025 | All-America (SN) | all_america | SN | DB |
| 2025 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Indiana | Big Ten | DB |
| 2024 | All-Big Ten | all_conference | Indiana | Big Ten | DB |
| 2023 | All-Sun Belt | all_conference | James Madison | Sun Belt | DB |
Heisman By Year
Modeled rank and official finish by season.
| Season | Team | Role | Latest Model | Forecast | Win | Finalist | Official Finish | Points | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Indiana | DB3 | #2069 | #2431 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W16 snapshot | Big Ten |
| 2023 | James Madison | DB3 | #6317 | #6828 | 0.0% | 0.0% | -- | -- | W19 snapshot | Sun Belt |
Roster Timeline
Team, conference, and class by season.
| Season | Team | Conference | Pos | Class | Bio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Indiana | Big Ten | DB | 3 | No. 5 | 5-9 | 170 lb | West Park, FL |
| 2024 | Indiana | Big Ten | DB | 3 | No. 5 | 5-9 | 170 lb | West Park, FL |
| 2023 | James Madison | Sun Belt | DB | 3 | No. 5 | 5-9 | 170 lb | West Park, FL |