Colorado Offensive Coordinator Reveals Emotions of Dealing With Tragic Loss

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died in a car accident over the weekend, and Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion spoke about Ponder and got emotional when reflecting on his passing after Monday's practice.

Monday marks the first day of spring practice for Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, and they decided to hold practice and honor Ponder with their work.

colorado buffaloes brennan marion emotional dominiq ponder quarterback tragedy passes away car crash deion sanders — Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first quarter against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While practice might have also given Colorado coaches and players a bit of a distraction from grieving the loss of a teammate, Marion made it clear that Ponder was in the hearts of the Buffs throughout practice. The decision to move forward with practice was made with Ponder in mind as the Buffs offensive coordinator praised Ponder for his work ethic.

What Brennan Marion Said About Dominiq Ponder

"We have been vulnerable with each other, tears. Trying to help each other out. We had to lead and I think we did that this morning, Marion said, per On3's Adam Munsterteiger.

Brennan Marion gets emotional talking about what he’ll remember most about Dominiq Ponder

“We’ll save a spot for him in the room” 😔 pic.twitter.com/XMzAuo7eu7
— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) March 2, 2026

"You see somebody every day, every morning. You meet every day at 5:30, 5 o'clock so. . . . We'll just save a spot for him in the room," Marion said on Monday, per DNVR Buffs.

Ponder spent two seasons with the Buffaloes and he made his Colorado debut in 2025 as part of the quarterback rotation. With a team that has seen some transfer portal turnover, Ponder was a more consistent figure on the Colorado roster

Later in the week, Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders as well as defensive coordinator Chris Marve will also address the media.

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What Ben Finneseth Said About Dominiq Ponder

Meanwhile, Colorado safety Ben Finneseth shared some of his thoughts:

"It can either mold us, or it can tear us apart, and it ain't gonna tear us apart because of the team we are and the culture that we're building. So it sucks. You know, yesterday you know you're gonna go to sleep and you wake up and Dom's not gonna be there, but football is gonna be there. So, our mentality was we got to get back to work, and we got to honor Dom in the way that we work and we're gonna do it for him," Finneseth said, per DNVR Buffs.

"It sucks, I'll be praying for his family and for all of his loved ones. I got the pleasure of spending a week with his family last year during spring break when I went down and visited them. I'll be praying for all them throughout this time," the Colorado safety continued.

Finneseth is recovering from a knee injury, but he still seems to be stepping up as a leader for the Buffs during a difficult time.

Other players posted tributes to Ponder on social media when the news went public, including quarterback Colton Allen and wide receiver Joseph Williams.