Class of 2025 five-star prospect Darryn Peterson made his college commitment to Bill Self and The University of Kansas on Friday, he announced in a ceremony that aired exclusively on CBS Sports HQ. The No. 3 recruit in 247Sports’ prospect rankings and the No. 1 combo guard in the class chose the Jayhawks over a long list of suitors that included Ohio State, Kansas State and USC.
The Prolific Prep (Napa, California) product is the highest-rated recruit in the 2025 cycle to commit so far and the first commitment for KU in its 2025 class. He gives the Jayhawks a foundational piece in the backcourt around which to build for the future, primarily with a skill set centered around versatility as a playmaker and scorer.
Here’s 247Sports’ Director of Scouting, Adam Finkelstein, on what he saw from him this summer in his evaluation:
Peterson is a big guard with good positional size, length, and strength. He’s 6-foot-5, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and a cut-up and defined frame. What differentiates him most though is an effortless ability to score and make plays from a variety of spots on the floor, all within the flow of the game.
Peterson is extremely versatile. He’s a true combo guard who is equally effective playing on or off the ball. He has natural poise as a handler with now only rare moments when he can be rattled by pressure from smaller guards. He’s also a true multi-level scorer who can simultaneously see the floor, make reads, and pass well. He has a very smooth pull-up game, can overpower most opposing guards off the dribble, take smaller defenders into the post, and also thrive in ball-screens. His understanding of how to get to his spots is second to none and that’s why he’s such an efficient scorer, even in high volume, especially inside the arc (24 points per game in 3SSB play on 50% shooting from the floor and 57% on two-point field goals). He also has good natural instincts and has already developed an NBA caliber intellect when it comes to drawing fouls and getting easy points at the free-throw line.
The last few weeks have been full of good news for Kansas , with Peterson’s commitment coming just two weeks after the program earned preseason No. 1 honors in the AP poll. KU boasts a stacked roster full of veterans but opportunity opens in the backcourt ahead of the 2025-26 season with guards Dajuan Harris, Shakeel Moore and Zeke Mayo all in their final year of eligibility.
Peterson’s commitment could also help KU attract other big-name recruits still on the board including No. 1 prospect AJ Dybantsa and top-20 recruit Bryson Tiller. Tiller visited KU for a third time last month and is set to make his college commitment in the coming weeks with KU as one of four of his finalists.
