Colorado began spring practices grieving the sudden loss of their teammate and quarterback, Dominiq Ponder. Colorado running back DeKalon Taylor said it was rough at first, but offensive coordinator Brennan Marion helped get them back on track.
#CUBuffs RB DeKalon Taylor: "Honestly practice today was a little heavy at first but once Coach Marion got us going, we had no choice but go hard for him."
— Adam Munsterteiger (@adamcm777) March 2, 2026
Colorado also announced that they'll feature a special patch on their jersey in remembrance of Ponder.
Our hearts here at Glory Colorado go out to the family, players, and friends of Ponder during this difficult time.
While jersey numbers might not matter much to casual fans, they're everything to diehards looking for an early edge in identifying players on the field come September.
Several prominent offensive players were mentioned Monday afternoon on X.
Some Colorado WR jersey numbers:
— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) March 2, 2026
No. 3 DeAndre Moore Jr.
No. 4 Ernest Campbell
No. 5 Hykeem Williams
No. 6 Quentin Gibson
No. 7 Kam Perry
No. 8 Joseph Williams https://t.co/HafRAvhFRz
None more notable than 'Q for 6'—the nickname of Buffs sophomore wide receiver Quentin Gibson who finally gets his jersey No. 6 after wearing No. 15 his freshman year.
Perhaps this season he'll get more opportunities on offense, especially in Marion's 'Go-Go' system. Last year, Gibson was featured primarily on kickoff and punt returns—and he excelled at it.
It was also made clear that safety Boo Carter will wear No. 6 on the defensive side of the ball, so don't expect to see those two on the field together at the same time if they give Boo some run on offense.
Joseph Williams will rock the No. 8 again—no surprise there—and Hykeem Williams will return to wearing No. 5. Meanwhile, newcomers DeAndre Moore Jr., Ernest Campbell, and Kam Perry will don No. 3, No. 4, and No. 7 respectively.
All three players will be switching from the numbers they wore at their previous schools.
Moore wore No. 0 at Texas, Campbell wore No. 13 at Sacramento State, and Perry wore No. 8 at Miami (Ohio).
Julian Lewis will take the reins as CU's starting quarterback wearing No. 10.
He had to reach out to former Colorado great QB Kordell Stewart for approval to wear the number last year. Stewart not only gave his blessing but praised the young signal caller, expressing confidence in his ability to carry on the legacy associated with the number in Boulder.