Indiana Football Lands 2 Players on Big Ten Preseason Honors

LAS VEGAS -- The Big Ten announced preseason honors Tuesday morning, and Indiana football had a pair of honorees.

Defensive end Mikail Kamara and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds made the 16-player list, which was decided by conference media.

Penn State and Ohio State led the Big Ten with three selections apiece. Indiana joined Iowa and Oregon as teams with two representatives.

Here's the full list of honorees:

QB Luke Altmyer, ILL
OLB Gabe Jacas, ILL
DL Mikail Kamara, IND
DB D’Angelo Ponds, IND
OT Gennings Dunker, IOWA
C Logan Jones, IOWA
DB Koi Perich, MINN
OLB Matayo Uiagalelei, ORE
DB Dillon Thieneman, ORE
SAF Caleb Downs, OSU
WR JEREMIAH SMITH, OSU
LB Sonny Styles, OSU
QB Drew Allar, PSU
DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, PSU
RB Nicholas Singleton, PSU
*Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS

In 2024, the 6-foot-1, 265-pound Kamara recorded 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, and he led the FBS with 73 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection and third-team Associated Press All-American.

Kamara was one of four pass rushers selected to the list of preseason honorees, joining Illinois' Gabe Jacas, Oregon's Matayo Uiagalelei and Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Ponds, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior from Miami, also earned consensus first-team All-Big Ten recognition in 2024. He tallied three interceptions and 12 passes defended while adding 55 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.

Ponds is the lone corner to achieve preseason honors, though three safeties in Minnesota's Koi Perich, Oregon's Dillon Thieneman and Ohio State's Caleb Downs also garnered recognition.

Indiana begins fall practice July 30 ahead of its season opener against Old Dominion on Aug. 30.

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