Colorado entered its 2026 spring practice following a tragedy. The Buffs lost their backup QB, Dominiq Ponder, in a fatal car accident just one day before beginning their scrimmage. To honor his legacy and the hard work he put into his game, the team returned to practice. Deion Sanders wants to continue honoring him into the 2026 season.

“We’ve lost the young man, Dominiq Ponder. We miss him dearly. Prayers go out to his family, who we’re in contact with on the daily. We will wear a patch on our jerseys this season in his honor,” Coach Prime said at Big 12 Media Days. “And his legacy should encourage kids to make responsible choices and have those hard and tough conversations.”

The Colorado head coach was in the middle of an answer when he suddenly started talking about Ponder. According to On3, the Buffs players will wear ‘DP22’ patches on their jerseys to honor their former teammate whenever they take to the field next season.

Ponder transferred to Colorado before the 2024 season after starting his college career at Bethune-Cookman University. In his first year in Boulder, he redshirted the season, as Shedeur Sanders was the starting QB. Even last year, he didn’t get much playing time. But before he could take a step forward this upcoming season, the March 1 tragedy struck. The QB died after he lost control of his car in an accident in Boulder County.

Following this tragic incident, starting spring practice on March 2 became extremely difficult for the Buffs. Colorado held an emergency meeting to decide whether it would delay or cancel spring camp’s opening day. However, players didn’t agree to make any shift because they wanted to honor Ponder’s legacy by being on the field.

“We decided, as a team, Dom wouldn’t miss the day. He wouldn’t miss the day of workouts. That’s what he would’ve wanted for us. He would have said, ‘Life’s got to move on. We’ve got championships to win and we still have goals, and the clocks are still rolling,'” Colorado defensive back Ben Finnesetha said at the time.

For Deion Sanders, who is a father figure to his players, accepting the loss of a 23-year-old was tough. Immediately after the news, Coach Prime said it was the “toughest thing” for him to digest.

The Buffs hosted a campus memorial on March 7, attended by the late QB’s family, teammates, and other university students. Dominiq’s mother, Catrina, and his father, Wendell, addressed the service and urged everyone to learn from the loss. Coach Prime also talked about the respect and integrity with which Ponder carried himself at the program.

The family of the late QB established a foundation named “Dominiq Ponder 7/22” to support families dealing with medical challenges, and it will also spread awareness regarding the harm of rash driving.