2025 IU football position preview: Secondary

IU football defensive back D'Angelo Ponds at practice.

With the 2025 football season kicking off later this month, Inside the Hall is providing a position-by-position preview of the roster. Today our position previews conclude with a look at the secondary.

Previously: Quarterback, Running back, Offensive line, Wide receivers & tight ends, Defensive line, Linebacker

Week two of fall camp is underway in Bloomington, and position battles remain, especially in a secondary rebuilt around All-American D’Angelo Ponds.

Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines mined the transfer portal to retool the unit, but unlike the front seven, final decisions are still pending.

Cornerback
First Team: D’Angelo Ponds, Jamari Sharpe
Second Team: Ryland Gandy, Amiryun Knighten

The lone confirmed starter this season, Ponds made an immediate impact in his sophomore year last season. A James Madison transfer who arrived in the spring of 2024 with Curt Cignetti, he was highly touted entering his second season, but exceeded expectations in every category.

Rated the top corner back in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus, Ponds was virtually impossible to beat. The Miami native snagged three interceptions, including a pick-six against Washington that sent Memorial Stadium into a frenzy.

Like his fellow defensive All-Americans, Ponds’ expectations have risen ahead of his junior season. Ponds earned a spot on the Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch lists.

The aforementioned position battle at cornerback during fall camp is between returner Jamari Sharpe and transfer Ryland Gandy.

One of the few Allen-era players remaining, Sharpe enters camp with a slight advantage given his familiarity with Haines’ system. The redshirt sophomore appeared in nine games, starting three, including at Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff.

Sharpe was part of a three-person starting rotation back in 2023 and became the top reserve last year. The 6-foot-1 defensive back totaled 13 tackles and a fumble recovery last season.

Gandy, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Pitt, played in all 13 games, securing 40 total tackles (23 solo) in the Panthers’ trip to a bowl game.The Buford, Georgia, native had a glaring tackling issue last season. Pro Football Focus credited him with 14 missed tackles last season.

In Indiana’s two losses, there was a glaring issue with tackling. With a more challenging 2025 schedule, Sharpe’s familiarity with the playbook is enough to earn a spot next to Ponds.

Adding even more experience, Knighten comes over from Northern Illinois. Knighten earned national defensive player of the week following an interception in the Huskies’ historic victory over Notre Dame.

The redshirt junior will have his shot in non-conference play, but will likely see his role shrink when conference play begins.

Safety
First Team: Amare Ferrell, Louis Moore
Second Team: Bryon Baldwin, Bryson Bonds

Following a midseason switch from rover to safety, Ferrell will provide continuity at the position as the everyday starter.

Rated as the eighth-best safety in the Big Ten, Ferrell put his playmaking ability on display, including a multi-interception game against Michigan State. He will look to improve upon his 49 tackle, four sack, four interception season as he enters his true junior season in Bloomington.

Though less than the cornerback position, there is still uncertainty about who will be joining Ferrell as the second safety. A trio with a combination of experience and youth follows suit.

After spending a year at Ole Miss, Moore returns to Bloomington for his final year of eligibility. In his lone season with the Rebels, Moore regressed a bit, starting only two games. An Allen recruit, Moore boasts experience donning the cream and crimson, playing in 24 games with nine starts over two seasons.

Moore will be fighting against the youth movement with the highly touted Baldwin stepping on campus. Cignetti and staff made him a priority, fighting off Colorado along the way for the four-star prospect.

Baldwin will get the opportunities that Rolijah Hardy earned last season in non-conference games. However, it will be paramount that Baldwin takes advantage of the reps to help his chances of becoming this year’s Hardy in conference play.

Rover
Devan Boykin
Boykin is the only transfer in the secondary who did not appear in a game. A transfer from NC State, Boykin tore his ACL in the Wolfpack’s bowl prep in 2023, missing the entirety of his senior season.

During that season, Boykin appeared in 11 games, starting 10, and posted a double-digit tackle game against Notre Dame.

Though it will be 20 months between games, the redshirt senior will likely find his role at the rover position.

Outlook

There is optimism that the Hoosier secondary can repeat its 2024 output despite the departures of Jamier Johnson and Terry Jones Jr.

Ponds is likely to take another jump at cornerback this season, matching up with the best receiver every opponent has. The depth of transfers scattered throughout the rest of the secondary adds a layer of uncertainty.

A strong non-conference performance from role players fighting for playing time could benefit the group as conference play rolls around.

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

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