KU basketball has new secret weapon in recruiting. It’s not what you might expect
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Peterson recruits actively, contacts prospects and persuades transfers to join KU
- He recruited Kinney and Nesmith, showcasing KU as a pro development pipeline
- Peterson courts top target Tyran Stokes, but Kentucky poses the primary threat
Freshman phenom Darryn Peterson looks to be as good as advertised on the basketball court.
The projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick put on a show in the Kansas Jayhawks’ exhibition victory at Louisville. And he’s kept busy off the court, too.
He might be a one-and-done candidate, but Peterson is playing a key role in KU’s recruiting. Multiple prospective recruits who are considering signing with the Jayhawks told The Star that Peterson has reached out to talk about Kansas.
Multiple transfers told The Star over the summer that KU’s coaching staff pitched how playing alongside Peterson would make life better for them on the court.
Peterson explained why he’s so invested in the Jayhawks’ success — even after he leaves Lawrence.
“That’s just the type of guy I am,” he said. “The respect I’ve got for the coaches and the guys that are coming after me. TK (Taylen Kinney), I’ve got a relationship with. So I was honest with him.”
Peterson is a big reason why Kinney, the No. 1-ranked point guard in the class of 2026 (per 247Sports), ended up in Lawrence.
“DP (Peterson) told me to come and hoop 10 months and then get to the league (NBA),” Kinney told The Star in September. “I mean, that’s what he’s going to do.”
Peterson is even recruiting players who would play in Lawrence well after his departure. That includes Overtime Elite forward Gabe Nesmith: The class of 2027 recruit played with Peterson at Prolific Prep before joining the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta.
“My guy Darryn told me that Bill Self is on him real hard and just that they make him a better player,” Nesmith said.“They’re going to make him a pro. He told me that it was the right spot for him.
“That definitely tells you something. I know how good of a player he is and how serious he is about his career. So I know that they’re definitely doing something completely right (at KU).”
Perhaps the biggest name Peterson is pitching is Tyran Stokes. He’s No. 1-ranked player in the class of 2026.
Kinney, too, recently tried to sell Stokes on the Jayhawks. Stokes lists five schools, including Kansas, as his finalists: Along with KU, there’s Kentucky, Louisville, USC and Oregon. But most recruiting experts believe he will eventually choose Kentucky.
He visited the Jayhawks this summer, and Peterson was in his ear.
“He’s (Stokes) is a pretty good friend of Darryn,” KU big man Flory Bidunga told The Star. “So he has been in touch with him for this whole thing.”
Peterson kept it close to the vest when asked what he tells prospective Jayhawks.
“Come to KU,” Peterson said with a laugh
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 1:22 PM.
