From Backyard Battles to the National Championship: How D’Angelo Ponds and Jamari Sharpe Became Indiana’s Lockdown Duo
MIAMI - “You can’t find Ponds without Jamari,” Indiana cornerbacks coach Rod Ojong said, and he wasn’t joking. What started as two kids playing neighborhood football in South Florida has turned into one of the most dynamic cornerback tandems in college football. Now, D’Angelo Ponds and Jamari Sharpe are back where it all began - Miami - with a national championship on the line.
The setting? Hard Rock Stadium.
The stakes? Everything.
But for these two, this moment has been years in the making.
A Bond Forged in South Florida Heat
Ponds and Sharpe go way back - we’re talking Little League days. They didn’t just grow up in the same area; they grew up together. From middle school fields to backyard games, football was always the language they spoke.
“Neighborhood games are big in South Florida,” Ponds said. “I feel like all kids growing up, that's all we know is football.”
But once high school rolled around, their paths split. Ponds took his talents to Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, while Sharpe stayed local at Miami Northwestern.
They never faced off directly, but Ponds did get a taste of Sharpe’s old stomping grounds - and made his mark. A year after Sharpe graduated, Ponds helped lead Chaminade to a 42-14 win over Northwestern, notching three tackles in the process.
Still, their connection never faded.
Reunited in Bloomington
Sharpe landed at Indiana first and stuck through the coaching transition when Curt Cignetti came over from James Madison. That continuity helped pave the way for Ponds to follow suit.
“They’ve known each other for a while, so it helped us in the recruiting process getting Ponds,” Ojong said.
It wasn’t just a reunion - it was a reset. The relationship evolved. What once was a friendship rooted in shared backyard battles became a mentorship.
“It’s kind of like a big brother-little brother thing,” Ojong added. “Ponds has the experience, so he tells Jamari how he sees things, and Jamari can take it and run with it.”
Between them, they’ve started 64 college games - Ponds with 37, Sharpe with 27 - and those reps show. Whether it’s in practice or game day, the competition between the two is constant.
First pass breakup. First interception.
First to allow a catch. It’s a daily battle, and neither wants to lose.
A Culture of Competition
That edge they bring? It’s contagious.
“It helps to have guys like that at the top,” said defensive backs coach Ola Adams. “Everybody wants to contribute, and everybody can contribute. They’re all capable, and it’s really shown and paid off this year, just how we’ve grown as a group.”
And grown they have - especially Sharpe.
After starting just three games last season, Sharpe has started all 15 this year. He’s racked up 44 tackles, five pass breakups, and four forced fumbles - a stat line that screams physicality and consistency. Coaches across the board - Adams, Ojong, and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines - have all taken notice.
“Every week it seems like he plays with a little more confidence,” Adams said. “When you have a guy of Ponds’ stature playing opposite of you, you’re almost always trying to play catch-up - if you can even get close to that guy, that’s pretty, pretty good.”
Iron Sharpens Iron
While Ponds might be the younger of the two, his leadership has been critical to Sharpe’s leap. Haines put it best: Ponds is the kind of player who elevates those around him.
And don’t get it twisted - the influence goes both ways.
Ponds has grown too, thanks in part to the daily grind with Sharpe. His total tackles have climbed each season, and he delivered his first career forced fumble in the Rose Bowl with a hit that echoed through the stadium - and Alabama’s offense.
“Me and Jamari make each other better with little things,” Ponds said. “We correct each other... We keep the same standard and are competing every day.”
One Locks Down the Left, the Other the Right
Ponds takes away one half of the field. Sharpe takes away the other.
That’s the kind of luxury most defensive coordinators can only dream of. Opposing offenses?
They’re left trying to survive underneath - and even that’s not a given.
Now, these two are back where it all started, suiting up for the biggest game of their lives in front of family, friends, and the very community that first molded them.
“It’s an amazing feeling to come home and play for a national title in front of my family and everybody,” Sharpe said.
Ponds echoed the sentiment, soaking in the full-circle moment.
“To be at home for a game like this, I feel like it's going to be a full-circle moment and a great opportunity for us to take advantage of,” he said with a smile.
From backyard games in South Florida to the national spotlight, Ponds and Sharpe have written their story one snap at a time. On Monday night, they get to finish the chapter - together.