Jets rookie cornerback D'Angelo Ponds ready to show he's a big talent

D’Angelo Ponds at Jets rookie minicamp on Saturday. Credit: Ed Murray

By Al Iannazzoneal.iannazzone@newsday.com Al_IannazzoneMay 12, 2026 5:00 am

D’Angelo Ponds’ size scared away major college programs — and some NFL teams. But the barely 5-9 Ponds knew he would be able to cover any receiver after facing top prospects in high school every day at practice.

The Jets rookie cornerback went to Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, Florida. His teammates included Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith, North Carolina State quarterback C.J. Bailey and receiver Joshisa Trader, who recently transferred to N.C. State from Miami.

Defending that potent offense prepared Ponds for the bigger stages and the biggest games.

“It's just one of those things that you knew something would come out of it,” Ponds’ high school coach Dameon Jones told Newsday in a phone interview. “Anybody going against that offense every day can't do nothing but get better.

“All them was here at the same time, man. Practice used to be really fun.”

Smith was the No. 1 recruit in the country in 2024 and has lived up to that billing. He’s caught 163 passes for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns in two seasons at Ohio State. When Ponds and Smith matched up in practice or one-on-one drills, it was “iron sharpening iron,” as Ponds described it.

“I felt like it definitely made me who I am,” Ponds said. “Going against top college-level guys, like Jeremiah Smith, prepared me for this level. Obviously, I consider him one of the best in the game. So I feel like when I had that in high school, it definitely prepared me for this level.”

Ponds was a big reason Chaminade-Madonna won three state championships in his three seasons with the powerhouse program, but he wasn’t highly recruited. Ponds ended up accepting a scholarship to play at James Madison and for coach Curt Cignetti.

“I couldn’t get nobody to take him,” Jones told Newsday. “He was special. Being undersized, he was fast. He was electric. He was just off the charts for his size and just a playmaker. So many people missed out on him coming out of high school because they just judged him on the size, but he was a dog.”

After one season at JMU, Ponds followed Cignetti to Indiana. Ponds played two years in Bloomington, making big play after big play as a junior, helping the Hoosiers to their first-ever national championship.

Ponds delivered a rib-cracking hit on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, forcing a fumble in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. In the semis, Ponds picked off Oregon’s Dante Moore on the first play and returned it for a touchdown. Ponds was named Defensive MVP of both games. His finished his college career with 39 passes defensed, seven interceptions and two pick-6s.

“I've proved people wrong my whole life,” Ponds said. “I embrace it, but at this point, I feel like I'm just proving myself right.”

Indiana receiver Omar Cooper’s first impression of Ponds when he arrived at Indiana was, “you see his size and you’re like, ‘OK, this ain’t nobody you really got to worry about.” Cooper, a Jets’ first-round pick, said his opinion of Ponds changed quickly.

“Once the pads came on, that's kind of where I realized, ‘OK, it's a lot more difficult than it may look,’” Cooper said. “Once I really started going against him, I was like, ‘OK, this ain't what it looks like.’”

His size also kept Ponds from being a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. The Jets took him in the second round, 50th overall.

Ponds was the fifth cornerback taken. The other four were at least 5-11. Jets coach Aaron Glenn, a former 5-9 cornerback, had no reservations about taking Ponds.

“You can't judge the heart,” Glenn said. “I know he's a shorter corner, but his play speaks for itself.”

Ponds can play inside and outside and has been compared to Glenn, who made three Pro Bowls over 15 NFL seasons. Both men appreciated and understood the comparison. After Ponds was drafted, he watched film of Glenn and noticed they had “similar traits.” Glenn saw some of them on the field and off with the way Ponds leads with his actions and words.

“You clearly see those are some of the things that he has,” Glenn said. “It's innate, it's a part of who he is. It makes me proud. I wish people looked at me and said I played like him because heck, he's a damn good player.”

Glenn said the plan is to take it slow with Ponds and let him learn to play inside and outside in NFL. Jones believes Ponds will quickly show he belongs.

“Trust me, he's going to surprise a lot of people,” Jones said. "Just like they passed on him in college, they’re going to regret that they passed on him in the NFL.”