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Colorado Buffaloes helmet during the PAC-12 football game between the Arizona Wildcats and Colorado Buffaloes at Arizona Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona.
The University of Colorado Buffaloes’ have just lost one of their own when #22 Dominiq Ponder was killed in a single car accident on March 1, 2026. The news was first reported on X by a local Colorado Buffaloes reporter, Scott Procter. It is certainly a very heartbreaking and unfathomable day amongst the Colorado Buffaloes players and the greater football community.
Dominiq Ponder was only 23-year-old at the time of his death.
Dominiq Ponder Was Killed in a Single Car Accident
On Sunday March 1, 2026, the Colorado Buffaloes and the broader college community were struck with the devastating news that sophomore quarterback Dominiq Ponder had passed away in a single car accident just before the commencement of Spring football – on the very eve of it, actually.
RIP Dominiq Ponder 🙏🏽
The Colorado QB passed away in a single-car accident.
Tragic news on the eve of spring ball. pic.twitter.com/WjRUjDoAUV
— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) March 1, 2026
The 23-year-old sophomore from Opa Locka, Florida was known for his size at 6 feet 5 inches and 200 pounds, and his athletic potential at the position of quarterback. Now the loss of a young player with significant potential not just on the football field, but as a loving son and friend to his teammates at Colorado, is sending shockwaves through the world of football – and the world-at-large.
Dominiq Ponder Had Earned the Respect of His Teammates and Coaches
GettyColorado head coach Deion Sanders will return to TCU, the site of his FBS win.
Dominiq Ponder’s college football journey began first at Bethune-Cookman University, where he enrolled as a reshirted player during his initial collegiate season. Although he did not make it onto the field in games for the Wildcats, his time there marked the start of his collegiate career and his personal transition into the higher levels of college competition. Eventually, he made it to the FBS with a top ranked and quickly rising program.
After Ponder transferred to the University of Colorado Boulder, he joined the football team under head coach Deion Sanders’ program with the hopes of carving out a role in an offense that was in the process of rebuilding. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Dominiq Ponder strived to establish himself on a depth chart that featured several quarterbacks, including standout playmaker Shedeur Sanders, a future NFL player, and other signal-callers competing for starting quarterback roles.
God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones. 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 pic.twitter.com/2R7BAVyZ8u
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 1, 2026
While he worked as hard as he could, Ponder may not have cultivated the field time he’d been hoping for, but he did get something better: the true, genuine respect of his teammates and coaches. The respect for Dominiq Ponder has been attributed to the sincerity and depth of his work ethic, his presence amongst his teammates, and his passion for the game. He was said to have had an authentic willingness to learn, physical tools and capabilities that advanced his athletic pursuits, and an attitude worthy of a top-level college player.
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