Kansas freshman phenom Darryn Peterson delivered as advertised in his first college game. The 6-foot-6 guard led the Jayhawks to a blowout win over Green Bay on Monday, scoring 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Peterson's dominant performance left Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb in awe.

“Closest thing to Kobe I’ve seen. Kid is awesome,” Gottlieb tweeted after the game about Peterson.

Peterson has continued to build momentum entering the 2025-26 college season, with many labeling him the nation's top player. The 18-year-old dazzled during an Oct. 24 exhibition against 11th-ranked Louisville, posting 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 from three with four rebounds, two assists, and six steals.

Darryn Peterson drawing buzz as top recruit in loaded 2026 NBA Draft

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) dribbles during the second half against the Green Bay Phoenix at Allen Fieldhouse.
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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Peterson was the No. 2 recruit in ESPN's Class of 2025 rankings, trailing only A.J. Dybansta, who will star for BYU this season. However, the Kansas guard is quickly becoming the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2026 NBA draft class.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie ranked Peterson No. 1 in his latest mock draft ahead of Dybansta (No. 2) and Cameron Boozer (No. 3).

“Peterson remains the 2026 draft prospect I hear the most excitement about from scouts,” Vecenie wrote. “He has all the requisite tools to become an elite on-ball guard in the NBA who can also shift toward playing off the ball if he’s next to another star. He’s a great ballhandler and terrific pull-up scorer and shooter, and he can make plays for others with his passing. Defensively, he’s big, long, tough and aggressive, measuring in at 6-feet-5.5 in shoes with a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan and an 8-foot-7 standing reach at Adidas Eurocamp in 2024.

“The big step forward for Peterson last year at Prolific Prep came with his passing and playmaking. He’s always been a tremendous scorer, but last year he began to read the second and third levels of the defense and make plays off how help defenders played him, even at times manipulating them himself. To me, that’s the difference between him and the No. 2 player here.”

Peterson will face a tough test on Friday when Kansas takes on 25th-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill.