Darryn Peterson Reportedly Gets 'Most Excitement' from Scouts over Boozer, Dybantsa
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has generated the most buzz from NBA scouts over top 2026 draft prospects Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa, according to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
"Even with his lack of game time, Peterson remains the 2026 draft prospect I hear the most excitement about from scouts," Vecenie reported Thursday. "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."
Peterson has only appeared in two games this season due to a hamstring injury, but showed promise when healthy.
The freshman averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 15-of-25 from the field and 6-of-12 from behind the arc.
Peterson's strong start isn't an anomaly, as expectations were high for him entering the season. He was listed as the No. 2 prospect in the country as part of the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Peterson was also projected to be off the board with the No. 1 pick in the latest 2026 mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.
"From the early tape Peterson has delivered, it's looking like a fairly seamless transition for him," Wasserman wrote. "He appeared ultra-quick and slithery getting to his spots. The tough shotmaking has been shown, particularly from off the ball with his catch-and-shoot game."
It's an encouraging sign for Peterson's NBA future that he's reportedly receiving more interest from scouts compared to Boozer and Dybantsa, as they've also started their respective freshman seasons on a high note.
Dybantsa has averaged 19.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the field for BYU. As for Boozer, he's recording 23.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game on 56.2/37.5/77.3 shooting splits at Duke.
