Indiana CB D'Angelo Ponds talks NFL 'plan' during championship celebration at Raising Cane's

Indiana Hoosiers cornerback D’Angelo Ponds officially announced he’s entering the NFL Draft last week, but broke the news while celebrating the national championship win at Raising Cane’s. Last Thursday, On3 attended the event at the Raising Cane’s in Bloomington, Indiana, that included Ponds, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, and cornerback Jamari Sharpe. During their press conference, Ponds was asked if he was planning to enter the NFL Draft.

“It’s still hitting me that we won. We were overlooked and underrated, and I’m glad that we took advantage of the opportunity we had,” Ponds told On3 and a group of reporters. “I haven’t officially announced that I’ll be going to the NFL, but that’s the plan. It’s definitely bittersweet knowing that we’re moving on – I feel like my college career went by so fast. I’m definitely going to miss going to war with my guys.”  

On Wednesday, D’Angelo Ponds accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl. In 2025, Ponds led Indiana with 10 pass breakups and two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown in the Peach Bowl win over Oregon. He also recorded one forced fumble, 61 tackles, and a blocked kick.

D’Angelo Ponds is ready to take the next step

After revealing that he will enter the NFL Draft at the Raising Cane’s event, Ponds went to social media on Friday to send a message to the Hoosier community. “Thank you to James Madison University and Hoosier Nation for the unwavering support throughout my journey,” Ponds said. “Representing these programs and communities has been an honor, and the love from the fans has never gone unnoticed.”

During the celebration, Ponds worked a “shift” at Raising Cane’s with Sarratt and Sharpe. The trio jumped behind the counter to fill drinks, pump Cane’s Sauce, butter toast, and bag up box combos for fans.

Ponds, Sarrat, and Sharpe were big reasons Indiana surprised the college football world in 2025. “We were a group of guys who were always overlooked,” Ponds said. “A lot of people would say misfits, but I’m not going to go with misfits. I think we were just overlooked and underrated, never got the opportunity that we deserved. And I’m glad we took advantage of the opportunity we had in the national championship.”