Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds reacts to Miami's Mark Fletcher Jr throwing punch after championship loss: 'Shocked'

As idiosyncratic who grew up with Miami Hurricanes prima moving backmost Mark Fletcher Jr., Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds was precise amazed to spot him get successful an altercation with his Hoosiers teammate. 

The Hoosiers made past connected Monday night, defeating the Hurricanes to implicit the first-ever 16-0 play successful assemblage shot since 1894. It was Jamari Sharpe, Ponds' chap cornerback teammate and different shot subordinate helium grew up with successful the Miami area, who secured the game-winning interception of backmost Carson Beck astatine Hard Rock Stadium. 

Following the game, the ESPN broadcast picked up an altercation that saw Fletcher, who had 2 touchdowns for Miami successful the 27-21 loss, propulsion a punch astatine Hoosiers' Tyrique Tucker. It whitethorn person escalated adjacent much if Hurricanes teammates and unit members didn't clasp backmost Fletcher, arsenic the solemnisation ensued for the Hoosiers. 

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Indiana Hoosiers DB D'Angelo Ponds (5) during a assemblage shot crippled betwixt the UCLA Bruins and Indiana Hoosiers connected October 25, 2025 astatine Memorial Stadium successful Bloomington, IN.  (James Black/Icon Sportswire)

Ponds was connected manus with Sharpe and Hoosiers receiver Elijah Sarrat for a celebratory "shift" astatine Raising Cane's successful Bloomington, Indiana, and earlier helium met with the raucous fans outside, helium spoke with Fox News Digital astir that infinitesimal with Fletcher and Tucker. 

"Those guys that were going astatine it, that’s a feline that I knew increasing up and things similar that," Ponds said of Fletcher, who attended American Heritage precocious schoolhouse successful Plantation, Florida – conscionable a fractional hr distant from his ain Chaminade-Madonna Prep. 

"I don’t cognize the afloat communicative connected that. Definitely was shocked from that feline due to the fact that that’s a feline I knew increasing up."

DETAILS EMERGE AFTER MIAMI STAR SEEN THROWING PUNCH AT INDIANA PLAYER FOLLOWING NATIONAL TITLE LOSS 

Ponds implied this was retired of quality for Fletcher, 1 of the Hurricanes’ leaders who helped them scope the College Football Playoff National Championship Game to statesman with.

Tucker was accused of making a remark astir Fletcher’s deceased begetter pursuing the Hoosiers’ victory. Mike Rumph, Miami’s manager of recruiting, alleged successful a comment connected Instagram that Tucker made the comment.

"Dude was talking astir Mark’s dada who passed distant past year. Mark is and ever volition beryllium 1 of the astir classy radical you volition meet. RIP Mr. Fletcher," Rumph wrote.

Tucker had a antithetic communicative astir what happened.

Miami Hurricanes moving backmost Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) rushes for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers successful the 2nd fractional during the College Football Playoff National Championship crippled astatine Hard Rock Stadium connected Jan. 19, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

"I was conscionable trying to congratulate him connected the game," helium told The Herald-Times. "He tried to sneak me, everybody benignant of held maine back. That was a inexpensive punch. Luckily, we got the win, I'm not truly excessively disquieted astir it. He's salty, helium going location with the L."

Tucker seemingly wanted to congratulate Fletcher connected his 2 touchdown show earlier things went awry, according to The Herald-Times. He said helium didn’t accidental thing to him.

Fletcher has yet to remark connected the incident.

In lighter news, Ponds besides told reporters connected Thursday astatine the Raising Cane’s successful Bloomington, Indiana, that helium plans connected entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

Indiana cornerback D'Angelo Ponds reflected connected Mark Fletcher Jr. punching his teammate, Tyrique Tucker, aft the nationalist championship. (GETTY)

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"I haven’t officially announced it," helium said, "but yeah, that’s the plan."

Ponds, a 5-foot-9, 173-pound cornerback, is projected to beryllium a second-day prime this April by draught experts.

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