The news of Dominiq Ponder’s death on the morning of March 1st rippled far beyond the Colorado program. By Sunday evening, Deion Sanders sat in front of his entire team and broke the news himself. And that same day, a 21-year-old content creator named N3on was in the middle of what should have been one of the biggest streams of his career. It was right up until his phone lit up with a message from Shilo Sanders that stopped everything.

N3on had traveled to Colorado to pull off what would have been a massive surprise. It was an unannounced, unplanned livestream with head coach Deion Sanders himself. But the moment Shilo sent him the news about Ponder, the entire plan fell apart immediately and without debate. During his stream, N3on’s reaction was immediate and visibly raw. 

“No! Da–, bro, RIP. Their quarterback passed away. Shilo just sent it to me. Da–, bro, RIP. Their quarterback on the team just passed away. Bro… damn, that’s so f—–. RIP, bro,” he said. “A 23-24-year-old man. So f***** up, man. You never know when this life will end, bro. Just got to enjoy it. Live in the moment. Embrace it. Achieve your dreams and chase your goals, man.”​​

People who follow N3on’s content know him primarily for chaos. He has outrageous IRL streams and trolling. But his reaction to this news was different. He heard the news, and what came out was genuinely human. The Deion Sanders collaboration, which would almost certainly have been one of the most-watched college football-adjacent streams, was shelved on the spot.​​

The other part of N3on’s Colorado trip actually did go forward. It was a stream with interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, which quickly became its own viral moment for entirely different reasons. Gaethje, who won the interim belt at UFC 324 in January 2026, agreed to spar with the content creator on stream.

Back at Colorado Buffaloes, the program chose to practice on Monday as scheduled. They showed up to Folsom Field with, as offensive coordinator Brennan Marion described it, “tears in their eyes.” Marion, who had gotten the call from Ponder’s father that Sunday, told reporters, “His family is from Pittsburgh, from the same neighborhood as me, and that made us bond together really close these last two months.” 

Deion Sanders, meanwhile, posted his tribute on X and confirmed the team would honor him with jersey patches throughout the upcoming season.

Deion Sanders’ reaction to Dominiq Ponder’s death

Dominiq Ponder, despite struggling for regular game time, was a well-liked presence in the Colorado locker room. His teammates and staff respected him deeply. Multiple players described him as someone who brought genuine energy and laughter to every room he walked into. For Deion Sanders, the loss was especially difficult. He had recruited Ponder, watched him commit to the program as a walk-on, and had seen firsthand the leader he was becoming inside that locker room.

When news broke on the morning of March 1st, Sanders wrote, “God please comfort the Ponder family, friends, & Loved ones. Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord, you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us, Lord, Comfort us.”

Deion Sanders gave the players a choice to skip the first day of spring practice that happened on Monday. But after an emergency meeting the night before, the players agreed  that everyone taking the field was the best option.

“Almost like a boost of energy, like he was there with us,” running back DeKalon Taylor said. “That’s what it felt like.”

“It’s sad not being able to protect him [Ponder] off the field,” offensive lineman Yahya Attia said Monday. “I still don’t really realize it — I don’t want to believe it yet.”

“That’s what we have to do this season,” Defensive back RJ Johnson said. “Play for Dom.”

Sanders and the rest of the team will ensure that number 22 will not be forgotten when the Buffaloes take the field in the fall.