The Colorado Buffaloes community is mourning the tragic death of their quarterback, Dominiq Ponder, who died at just 23 years old. Ponder, a third-year sophomore originally from Opa-locka, was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Boulder after he lost control of his Tesla Model 3.
Investigators believe Ponder may have been driving too fast as he approached a right-hand curve, according to KDVR. Authorities say the vehicle veered out of control, smashed through a guardrail, struck an electrical line, then rolled down an embankment before bursting into flames. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Tributes have been pouring in since news of his death was broken.
Gone too Soon
Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders led the tributes, sharing a deeply emotional message on Sunday evening honoring Ponder and reflecting on the loss felt across the program. "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."
Ponder served as a backup quarterback for the program and saw limited action, making two short appearances during the 2025 season. He joined the team in 2024 after transferring from Bethune-Cookman University.
Following the heartbreaking news, his fellow quarterback Colton Allen also paid tribute, sharing a heartfelt message in Ponder's memory on Instagram on Sunday.
"I don't even know how to put this into words,' Allen wrote. 'We spend so much time stressing about stuff that feels huge in the moment but honestly doesn't matter. Life. Money. Opinions. None of that feels important right now. Life is such a blessing from God, but it's also so short and fragile. You don't really understand that until something like this happens.
"Dom, you were a blessing to so many people. 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."
Community Shocked
The Buffaloes offensive coordinator, Brennan Marion, also paid tribute to Ponder, writing: "A joy to be around & coach! gonna be tough but man this one hurts Lord, getting that call from his dad today didn't feel real.
"Love you Dom! God cover his family & our team, especially our qb room!"
The Colorado Buffaloes were set to open spring practice on Monday in Boulder, but as of Sunday night, it was still unclear whether those plans would move forward.
Ponder played his high school football in Florida at Carol City High School and Naples High School. He later attended Myrtle Beach Collegiate Academy before continuing his college career at Bethune-Cookman University.
Those close to Ponder say he deeply admired his head coach, Sanders. His final post on X was a repost of a message Sanders shared in October about trusting in God, and he frequently reshared similar messages from his coach.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Buffaloes announced that counseling services are being made available to Ponder's teammates as the program comes to terms with the loss.
