Colorado QB Dominiq Ponder dies at 23: Cause of death and career highlights

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend at the age of 23, head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday afternoon, March 1. “God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was loved, respected and a born leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him and had the opportunity to be in his presence.”


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

How Dominiq Ponder died

Dominiq ponder’s cause of death is the result of a single-car accident, as per Scott Procter of DNVR Buffs.


Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Ivan Alvarado told USA TODAY Sports that a 23-year-old male driving a 2023 Tesla west on Baseline Road near Newland Court lost control of the vehicle around 3 a.m. The car crossed eastbound lanes, went through a guardrail, struck an electrical pole, and rolled at least once. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The patrol did not immediately identify the driver, but the media outlet mentioned Sanders’s tweet connecting the two.

Who was Dominiq Ponder?

Dominiq Ponder, born on December 2, 2002, was a quarterback who came to Colorado as an undergraduate transfer with four years of eligibility. At Colorado, he played in two games during the 2025 season, making his collegiate debut at home against Arizona, where he played the final three snaps at quarterback, going 0-of-1 passing with two carries for minus four yards. The following week against West Virginia, he contributed three snaps on kickoff.

In 2024, he redshirted and did not see game action. Prior to Colorado, Ponder spent time at Bethune-Cookman, where he also redshirted and did not play in games.

Ponder played prep football at Carol City High School under Head Coach Dominic Johnson in Opa Locka, Florida, and also spent time at Naples High School in Naples, Florida. As a sophomore at Naples High, he threw for 511 yards on 32-of-84 passing with 10 touchdowns and ran for 356 yards, scoring three touchdowns.

Known as a dual-threat quarterback, he was listed as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports, ranked No. 164 at quarterback and No. 280 overall in Florida. He arrived at Bethune-Cookman as a mid-year enrollee from Myrtle Beach Collegiate Academy in South Carolina.

Ponder’s career at Colorado

Ponder first joined Colorado in 2024 and appeared briefly in two games last season as a backup. He was set to compete for the starting quarterback position in the offseason, though Sanders later secured Julian Lewis, a four-star recruit from USC. The Buffaloes finished 3-9 last season under Sanders in his third year at the program.