Kurtis Rourke, D'Angelo Ponds among notable IU names in ESPN’s top 100 college football players

Four Indiana Hoosiers made the outlet’s list of top players from the 2024-2025 season.

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (9) poses witha fan after the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.
Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (9) poses witha fan after the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Wednesday, ESPN ranked their Top 100 players of the 2024 college football season, as the season recently wrapped up on Monday night after Ohio State's National Championship win over Notre Dame.

Indiana had four players ranked in the top 100 which included quarterback Kurtis Rourke (No. 25) , inside linebacker Aiden Fisher (No. 73), defensive end Mikail Kamara (No. 55) and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds (No. 51).

Ponds, Kamara and Fisher were all named All-Big Ten First Team players while senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke was second team All-Big Ten and also finished 9th in Heisman Trophy voting.

All three Big Ten First Team defenders will return for the 2025 season while Rourke is rehabbing from his acl injury and prepping for the East-West Shrine Game and the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

ESPN also recently released their first way-too-early top 25 rankings, and ESPN ranked Indiana at No. 17 ahead of the 2025 season.

Head coach Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers to the most wins in program history and a spot in the College Football Playoff, after finishing 11-2 in 2024 skies the limit for this program and fanbase heading forward.

The ranking was made by a selection committee of six ESPN college football writers. Click here to view ESPN's full Top 100 players rankings. 

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