Colorado QB Dominiq Ponder, 23, dies in car accident

Field Level Media
02 Mar 2026, 06:49 GMT+10

(Photo credit: Chris Tilley/Special to USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA)

Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder died Sunday, head coach Deion Sanders said in a social media post. Ponder was 23.

Per reports from DNVR Buffs and FOX 31, Ponder was confirmed to be the driver of a 2023 Tesla that was involved in a single-car crash around 3 a.m. Sunday in Boulder County.

'God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,' Sanders wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let's pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you're receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.'

One of Ponder's teammates in the quarterback room, Colton Allen, also responded to the news in a social media post.

'Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,' Allen wrote on Instagram. 'You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I'm grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I'll carry those with me for the rest of my life. What happened feels so final. It feels heavy. It hurts.'

Ponder was entering his third year in Boulder after redshirting at Bethune-Cookman in 2023 and transferring to Colorado. He saw his first game action in 2025, getting into two games as a reserve with one pass attempt and two carries.

The native of Opa Locka, Fla., would have been a candidate to move up Colorado's depth chart in 2026. His death comes the day before Colorado was scheduled to start spring football practices.

--Field Level Media

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