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Adam RittenbergMar 1, 2026, 06:51 PM ET
- College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.
Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder died at 23, coach Deion Sanders announced Sunday.
Ponder, a third-year sophomore from Opa Locka, Florida, spent the past two seasons with the program after transferring from Bethune-Cookman. He appeared in two games last season, recording two rushes and a pass attempt, after not playing for the Buffaloes in 2024.
“Dom was one of my favorites!” 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.”
No information about the cause of Ponder’s death was immediately available.
Colorado is set to open spring practice Monday in Boulder.
Ponder played high school football at Carol City and Naples in Florida, and came to Bethune-Cookman from Myrtle Beach Collegiate Academy in South Carolina.
