New Details Emerge on Death of Colorado Quarterback Dominiq Ponder

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder passed away on March 1 before the Buffaloes started spring practices, and a recent report from USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer revealed that Ponder's blood-alcohol content (BAC) was over double the legal limit of 0.08 in the state of Colorado.

According to USA Today, Ponder's BAC was .167 before the fatal car accident.

colorado buffaloes dominiq ponder death deion sanders brennan marion quarterback blood-alcohol content car accident — Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats' spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. | NADIA ZOMORODIAN/NEWS-JOURNAL / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ponder started his career at Bethune Cookman before transferring to the Colorado Buffaloes to play for coach Deion Sanders. He did not play in his first season in Boulder, but he was part of the quarterback rotation that Colorado had in place throughout 2025.

Entering the 2026 season, Ponder was part of a quarterback room that included Julian "JuJu" Lewis, Isaac Wilson, and Kaneal Sweetwyne.

Deion Sanders, Colorado Respond to Dominiq Ponder's Passing

After Ponder's tragic passing, the Buffaloes were noticeably shaken with spring practice about to start. The team decided to continue holding practice in honor of their teammate, but players were given the option to skip.

Sanders was emotional when reflecting on the loss of Ponder in his first media appearance after Ponder's passing.

“Team did a candlelight vigil on Thursday on the field for, it’s hard to say his name,” Sanders said back in March. “As a father, that when we send our kids to college, we send a kid to college to mature, progress, learn who he or she is, and come back with something that they glean from that college."

Colorado also held a celebration of life on campus, and former Buffaloes offensive coordinator Pat Shumur joined Sanders as some of the speakers to remember Ponder.

Other team leaders like safety Ben Finneseth spoke about Ponder's impact on the program and how his loss can bring the program together. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion fought back tears while speaking to the media about the loss of Ponder, and he revealed how he handled coaching after the tragedy.

"We coached differently today. We didn't coach with the same urgency as far as screaming at guys and losing our minds. We coached like you would coach your child today. We coached a little bit more pulled back from the standpoint of let's get through the reps, but let's do it quality. Let's run on and off the field, and let's get our guys out there and let them have a little bit of fun to be out there on the field," said Marion.

In reaction to Ponder's passing, Sanders also revealed that the team will honor Ponder with a patch on their jerseys. With Colorado's spring game scheduled for Saturday, April 11, the Buffaloes could be debuting the memorial patch for the first time.

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