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NCAAF Dominiq Ponder was killed early Sunday morning in a single-vehicle crash in Boulder, Colo. David Zalubowski / AP photo Colorado plans to honor quarterback Dominiq Ponder with a jersey patch this season, coach Deion Sanders said Friday. Ponder was killed early Sunday morning in a single-vehicle crash in Boulder. Sanders had to pause after telling reporters Friday that his team hosted a candlelight vigil for Ponder on Thursday night. “It’s hard to say his dern name, ” Sanders said. Colorado is hosting a public memorial for Ponder on Saturday. Earlier this week, Sanders showed his team a few options for a patch to honor Ponder. Colorado’s uniforms will feature a patch honoring Dominiq Ponder this season ? ? (Via: @King Darius_NS ) pic. twitter. com/a Akc IYMRy4 — DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) March 2, 2026 The accident is under investigation by the Colorado State Patrol, which said in a statement that the preliminary investigation showed speed was suspected as a factor in the crash. Ponder spent the last two seasons at Colorado after beginning his career at Bethune-Cookman. He appeared in two games last season as the Buffaloes’ fourth-string quarterback. Advertisement Sanders said Friday the walk-on was a “bona fide leader” and noted that years ago, he had worked with Ponder at a camp in their home state of Florida. “He will be appreciated, and you will understand his presence this season, ” Sanders said. “Because he was a vital part of this team. ” “When we send our kids to college, you send a kid to mature, progress, learn who he or she is. And come back with something they glean from that college, ” he said. “We don’t send a kid to college not to come back. That’s the most painful thing that I’m dealing with. The family is wonderful. They’ve been strong, courageous, charming. ” Colorado began spring practice on Monday. “We gotta keep going, ” Sanders said, adding he’s loved how his program has reacted to the tragedy and that crying doesn’t make a man soft. He noted that he told his coaching staff that many of the players were dealing with the loss of a peer for the first time. “We gotta respect that, ” Sanders said. “We gonna push them on the field, but we’re gonna love them just as hard. ” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle David Ubben is a senior writer for The Athletic covering college football. Prior to joining The Athletic, he covered college sports for ESPN, Fox Sports Southwest, The Oklahoman, Sports on Earth and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, as well as contributing to a number of other publications. Follow David on Twitter @davidubben