Auburn Football contacts James Madison and transfer D’Angelo Ponds

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Auburn has addressed its defensive line needs through the transfer portal and shifted its focus to defense.

Auburn’s secondary is depleted after three of its key contributors were drafted by NFL teams last week. Auburn will host former San Jose State cornerback Jayvion Cole next week and is looking to add another talented corner to bolster its defense.

On3’s Hayes Fawcett reports that former James Madison cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has heard from 22 programs since entering the transfer portal on April 26, including Auburn.

Pond’s popularity stems from his incredible first season as a collegiate athlete in 2023. The Hollywood, Florida native signed with James Madison as a three-star and the No. 142 cornerback of the 2023 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports. Despite the low ranking, Ponds burst onto the scene by making 51 stops with two interceptions and 15 pass deflections during the Duke’s 11-2 campaign.

Ponds’ rookie season performance earned him several Freshman All-American honors from publications such as On3 and the Football Writers Association of America. He was also named second-team All-American and freshman cornerback of the year by College Football Network.

Programs such as Tennessee, USC and Duke, along with Auburn, are showing interest in Ponds.