Pair of spring transfers for Indiana football rated among top-returning CBs in Big Ten

The Indiana football secondary will look vastly different in 2024 than it did a season ago — or even throughout spring practice. It was a position of need for head coach Curt Cignetti coming out of the spring game and an area that seems to be much improved, albeit with many different faces.

Among his takeaways throughout spring practice was the lack of depth at the cornerback position.

“We were really thin back there,” Cignetti said. “Probably still need that, a piece or two, after spring ball.” 

Old Dominion safeties Shawn Asbury II and Terry Jones Jr. were two members of the winter class that replaced Louis Moore on Philip Dunnam, a pair that started 17 games across 24 appearances for Indiana.

But there was more that Cignetti needed at the cornerback position. He started with FCS All-American and Second-Team All-UAC cornerback Cedarius Doss from Austin Peay. He had 35 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions a season ago. Across the past two years, he has 18 pass breakups and four interceptions.

Then, probably the biggest spring addition that Indiana had, it was James Madison cornerback D’Angelo Ponds who announced his decision to join the Indiana football program. He was a freshman All-American last year after collecting 52 tackles, 12 pass deflections, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

His addition was critical for a defense that had lost its best corner in Kobee Minor in a bit of a surprise departure. And the fact that Ponds comes to IU with an understanding of Cignetti and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines is an important part as well.

And for Indiana, despite both playing at the FCS level last year, both rank in the top-3 of the highest-rated returning cornerbacks in the Big Ten.

Doss ranks second with a PFF rating of 90.4 while Ponds is third with a rating of 89.7. They trialed Iowa’s Sebastian Castro who had a 91.2 rating. That group of three were the only players with a rating of higher than 86.

Indiana’s defense ranked tied for 12th in 2023 in passing yards per game, giving up 237.8 a game. It also ranked 13th in points allowed, with 29.9 points against per game.

SEE ALSO: ‘He’s a big get’: Curt Cignetti understands the impact D’Angelo Ponds can make for Indiana football

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