Dominiq Ponder dies at 23: Deion Sanders, college football mourns death of Colorado QB after car crash originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Colorado QB Dominiq Ponder died in the early morning of Sunday, March 1, in a single-car crash, according to police.

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Ponder was 23 years old.

The quarterback had been with Colorado for the past two seasons after beginning his career at Bethune-Cookman. Ponder played in two games in 2025, attempting one pass and running twice. Tributes pouring in from coaches and teammates showed that he had a huge impact on the team and locker room.

Here is more on Ponder’s death.

Dominiq Ponder dies at 23

Ponder was involved in a single-car crash in the early hours of Sunday, March 1. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dominiq Ponder car crash details

Ponder was driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3. Police say that the quarterback lost control of the car around a curve, and the car went across the eastbound lane and into a guardrail. The car then hit an electrical line pole before rolling down an embankment and catching on fire.

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The crash occurred around 3 a.m. in Boulder County. While a thorough police investigation will be conducted, preliminary investigation “shows that speed is suspected as a factor” in the accident.