Colorado backup QB Dominiq Ponder dies at age 23

Colorado backup quarterback Dominiq Ponder has died at age 23, as confirmed in a social media post by his head coach Deion Sanders on March 1.

The Colorado State Patrol confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that a 23-year-old male died in a single-car accident in Boulder County at about 3 a.m. on March 1 but declined to confirm the person's identity. Patrol Sergeant Ivan Alvarado said the driver lost control of his 2023 Tesla while negotiating a right-hand curve on Baseline Road near Newland Court. He said the westbound car went across the eastbound lanes, burst through a guardrail, hit an electrical pole and rolled at least once. The driver was pronounced dead on the scene, Alvarado said.

"God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones," Sanders wrote on social media site X. "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."

Ponder served as a fourth-string quarterback at Colorado in 2025 and appeared in two games after transferring from Bethune-Cookman for the 2024 season. He came to Colorado as a non-scholarship player and would have been a junior at Colorado in 2026.

Fellow backup quarterback Colton Allen posted about Ponder on Instagram March 1.

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote. “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 one of coach Deion Sanders’ “Florida boys” in Boulder, having played high school football at Carol City High in Opa-locka, Florida, before eventually landing at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach.

He finished his sophomore season at Colorado in 2025 with one pass attempted and two carries for minus-4 yards, all of which came on the final three snaps of a 52-17 loss against Arizona Nov. 1.

The sad news comes just a day before Colorado opens its spring practice season March 2.

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