Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Colton Allen penned an emotional letter for his teammate, Dominiq Ponder, who recently died. On Sunday, March 1, coach Deion Sanders announced Buffaloes quarterback Ponder’s death at just 23.
The Colorado players and the Buffaloes faithful are shook by the news. Allen went over to his official Instagram account to post a collection of photos of himself and Ponder and an emotional letter. Other Colorado players, such as Kaidon Salter, have since shared their tributes.
Numerous members of the Colorado-based program dropped their reactions in the comments section of Allen’s post.
“❤️❤️,” starting quarterback Kaidon Salter wrote.
“🙏🏾,” centerback RJ Johnson said.
“❤️❤️❤️,” safety Ben Finneseth posted.
“❤️❤️,” kicker Alejandro Mata commented.
“❤️❤️,” long snapper Luke Whiting shared.
“🤞🏾❤️,” defensive end Keaten Wade dropped.
Ponder was a part of the Buffaloes roster throughout the 2025 season as a backup quarterback. He transferred there from his former team, coach Raymond Woodie Jr.’s Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, before heading to Colorado in 2024. In the past year, he helped coach Sanders and company to an overall record of 3-9 (1-8 Big 12), as they were the 15th seed in the 2026 Big 12 conference standings.
Colton Allen Weighs In On Dominiq Ponder’s Great Team Presence
In Colton Allen’s Instagram tribute for Dominiq Ponder, the young talent expounded on how precious life truly is by discussing the moments he and Ponder shared.
Allen pointed out that they stuck together through the good and bad moments, and concluded by saying that Ponder was a blessing on and off the field to both the team and Colorado University.
“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people. You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life. What happened feels so final. It feels heavy. It hurts,” Allen wrote.
“But I know God promises eternal life through faith in Him, and that’s the only thing giving peace right now. This isn’t the end of your story,” he continued.
Also Read: Who Is Colorado’s New Defensive Coordinator? All We Know About Deion Sanders’ New Staff Member After Robert Livingston’s Exit
Read More: Did Deion Sanders Fire Warren Sapp? A Look at Colorado Buffaloes’ Massive Staff Change
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