Curt Cignetti Gives Positive Injury Update on Indiana Football CB D'Angelo Ponds

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — No. 7 Indiana football's starting secondary will be at full strength Saturday against No. 3 Oregon.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti delivered a positive injury update on All-American cornerback D’Angelo Ponds during his press conference Monday.

"I expect Ponds to be fine and play," Cignetti said.

Ponds, a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, did not play in the Hoosiers' 20-15 victory over Iowa on Sept. 27. He suffered an undisclosed injury in practice late in the week and was listed as questionable on the pre-game availability report.

An hour and a half before the game, Ponds stretched and went through drills in the tunnel with the Hoosiers' strength coach, Derek Owings. Ponds returned to the field in uniform for full-team warmups but didn't play.

D’Angelo Ponds, listed as questionable, is dressed and stretching with the rest of #iufb’s defense. pic.twitter.com/U68Hu6SlZQ
— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) September 27, 2025

Redshirt junior Ryland Gandy started in place of Ponds, which Cignetti said prompted Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines to alter the game plan "a little bit" against Iowa.

"Coach Haines took out the eraser and ink pen," Cignetti said. "Played a little bit more zone than he was planning on playing going into the game, and I thought we did well."

The 6-foot, 186-pound Gandy recorded four tackles and one tackle for loss in 69 total snaps. Gandy allowed two catches for eight yards on three targets, according to Pro Football Focus, and he drew praise from senior linebacker Aiden Fisher after the game.

"He played great," Fisher said. "A lot of communication was coming from him. He did a great job getting everybody's attention pre-snap, just making sure we all saw things the same way he did. He just did a great job stepping up when his number was called. Really proud of him.

"He's kept his head down all throughout fall camp, all throughout the season, knowing his opportunity was going to arise at some point. I think he took advantage of it today."

But the Hoosiers are best when Ponds is on the field, and his return is particularly important to help slow Oregon's potent offense. The Ducks are led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Dante Moore, who's second in the Big Ten in both completion rate (74.6%) and passing touchdowns (14).

And while Ponds alone won't stop Moore, his presence gives Haines free rein to scheme, disguise and game plan with no restrictions — a significant early-week win for the Hoosiers.