Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder dead at 23 in tragic car crash

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The University of Colorado football team is mourning the death of one of its own after quarterback Dominiq Ponder died in a tragic single-car accident early Sunday morning.

He was 23 years old.

Ponder had been a member of the football program for the past two seasons after joining as a walk-on quarterback.

The crash occurred around 3 a.m. Sunday morning while he was driving in a 2023 Tesla Model 3, Colorado State Patrol announced in a press release.

Ponder, who was driving westbound on Baseline Road, lost control of the vehicle while going through a curve to the right, entering into the eastbound lane before hitting a guardrail. 

The Tesla went through the guardrail and then struck an electrical line pole before rolling into an embankment and catching fire.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Colorado State Patrol’s vehicular crimes unit is investigating the crash, with the preliminary investigation indicating that speed is “suspected” to be a factor, the CSP said in its release. 

Ponder was a third-year sophomore from Opa-locka, Fla., who joined the program after transferring from Bethune-Cookman.

He was beloved by his coaches at Colorado, with a number of them taking to social media in the aftermath of his death.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones. Dom was one of my favorites!” Colorado head coach Deion Sanders wrote on X. “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.”

Colorado offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brennan Marion took to social media as well to pay tribute to Ponder.

“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!” he wrote. 

Ponder played in two games in 2025 for Colorado, making his debut against Arizona on Nov. 1. 

“The entire CU Athletics family is devastated at the tragic passing of Dominiq Ponder,” director of athletics Fernando Lovo said in a statement. “He epitomized the values of passion, enthusiasm, leadership, toughness, and intelligence that were revered by his teammates and coaches alike. Our hearts go out to his family and all of his teammates during this difficult time.”

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