Kansas SG signee Darryn Peterson named Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year

Canton (Ohio) Prolific Prep Five-Star Plus+ shooting guard Darryn Peterson has been named the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Friday.

The Kansas signee beat out Five-Star Plus+ small forward AJ Dybantsa, Five-Star Plus+ power forward Cam Boozer, Five-Star Plus+ SF Nate Ament and five-star point guard Darius Acuff for the illustrious award.

Peterson becomes the third Kansas signee to win the award, which began in 1987, joining Andrew Wiggins (2013) and Cliff Alexander (2014).

“It is a blessing to be in this position. It is an unbelievable honor to win the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year.  To know that I have added my name to a list that includes LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others is quite the feeling,” Peterson said in a press release.  “My teammates and I put in an extreme amount of work throughout the year, and it would not be possible without them.  I would like to thank the members of the committee that voted for me, as the five finalists for this award were all deserving. Lastly, big thank you to my parents for believing in me every step of the way. Even if I did not win player of the year, I would still be player of the year to them.”

The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder is the No. 3 overall prospect and top-ranked shooting guard in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Playing his senior season for Prolific Prep in Napa, California, Peterson has been dominant. Averaging over 30 points, 7.4 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game, he has headed a program that ranks as the No. 25 team in the nation, per the On3 Composite.

Prior to Prolific Prep, Peterson began his high school career at Cuyahoga Falls High School (Ohio), where he played his first two seasons before transferring to Huntington Prep (W.V.) for his junior year. Peterson is a proven winner and was also a part of a gold medal-winning USA Basketball team at the FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico in 2023.

Peterson is the latest 5-star recruit to ink with the Jayhawks

He committed to Bill Self and the Jayhawks on Nov. 1, choosing them over over Ohio State, USC, and Kansas State. KU is getting an elite playmaker, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw:

“Peterson is at his best with the ball in his hands. He probes the defense well and has an excellent understanding of pace. The Five-Star Plus+ guard gets his defender off-balance and puts him on his hip and keeps him in jail all the way to the rim. One of Peterson’s best attributes is his ability to draw fouls and to get to the free-throw line,” Shaw wrote. “Peterson has adequate lift with his strong frame. He plays poised in the paint with great control. He has a confident mid-range game, rising high from multiple levels on the court with his pull-up jump shot. The pace and physicality play right away. His ability to probe a defense and self-create opportunities is unique among his peers.”

Peterson is one of just two signees for Kansas in the 2025 cycle, alongside Atlanta Overtime Elite three-star power forward Samis Calderon. The duo still make for the No. 15 recruiting class in the cycle, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.