Kansas basketball signee Darryn Peterson rises to No. 1 in recruiting rankings

After months of high-scoring outings, game winners, and numerous awards – future Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson has been named the top-ranked player in the 2025 high school class, according to 247sports.com.

The 6-foot-5 Peterson was an absolute star for Prolific Prep (Napa, California) this year averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. In February 2025, Peterson dropped a single-game school record 58 points.

He outplayed and beat former No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa multiple times over the last few months and was recently named co-MVP of the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game. He was also named the 2025 Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year.

Peterson is the third Kansas signee to be ranked No. 1 in his class since recruiting rankings were first established, joining Josh Jackson (2016) and Andrew Wiggins (2013). Both Jackson and Wiggins ended up being top five NBA Draft picks, with Wiggins being selected first overall in 2014.

Like his top-ranked predecessors, Peterson is not expected to last more than one season in Lawrence. He’s already projected as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to several early 2026 mock drafts.

Earlier this year, head coach Bill Self called Peterson the best player he’s recruited since being at Kansas.

"To me, Darryn's the best player we've recruited since we've been here," Self said. "When you talk about a player and a combination of a player and a prospect, I think that's without question. He's a special talent."

There’s a lot of expectations on Peterson’s shoulders heading into the 2025-26 season. Rarely has Self put the onus on an incoming freshman to carry the load for his team, but that is what is expected this year with how many upperclassmen and transfers KU lost from this recent season.

Luckily, Peterson seems to not only have the talent but the demeanor to carry that responsibility – and if he lives up to those expectations, it could mean big things for Kansas next season.