Dominiq Ponder, Colorado quarterback, dies at 23

Colorado sophomore quarterback Dominiq Ponder, 23, died in a car accident early Sunday morning. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound quarterback spent the past two years with the Buffaloes.

Head coach Deion Sanders confirmed the death on Sunday afternoon. He posted to Twitter, offering the family his condolences and his prayers.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,” Sanders wrote. “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. #CoachPrime”

RELATED: Cause of death revealed for Dominiq Ponder

He had previously transferred in from Bethune-Cookman, where he began his college career. He did not see game action at Bethune-Cookman in his first year on campus and redshirted before transferring to Colorado.

Dominiq Ponder then suited up for Colorado in 2024, though he had minimal impact. He did not see game action in his first season.

In 2025, Ponder played in two games. He made his collegiate debut in a home game against Arizona, playing the final three snaps and going 0-for-1 passing. He also had two carries but lost four yards.

The following week, Dominiq Ponder saw some snaps on the kickoff unit. He logged three snaps in the game against West Virginia in that capacity.

Prior to enrolling at Bethune-Cookman, Ponder was an unrated recruit in the Rivals Industry Rankings. He was ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports, checking in as the No. 164 quarterback in the class and the No. 280 overall player from the state of Florida.

Dominiq Ponder hailed from Opa Locka, Fla. He played his high school ball at Carol City High School. He also spent time at Naples High School in Naples, Fla.

As a sophomore at Naples High, Ponder threw for 511 yards on 32-for-84 passing, adding 10 touchdown passes. He ran for 356 yards that season, scoring three times on the ground.