The Utah Jazz have their guard of the future.

Darryn Peterson is heading to Salt Lake City after being selected by the Jazz second overall at the NBA Draft on Tuesday night.

One of the most highly touted backcourt prospects in recent years, Peterson had a solid freshman season at Kansas, finishing with 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals, while shooting 43.8 per cent from the field and 38.2 per cent from range.

Despite his strong performances on the hardwood, Peterson’s lone season with the Jayhawks was marred by drama off it, as he dealt with severe full-body cramps early in the season and rarely made media appearances.

The 19-year-old missed a month early in the season and would sporadically sit out games due to the injury issues. However, entering the 2025-26 college season as the 2025 No. 1 recruit according to 247 Sports, Peterson’s stock was high enough in evaluators’ eyes that he warranted the second-overall pick.

Utah is partially flying blind with the selection, as Peterson declined to work out for the team and only worked out for the Washington Wizards, who hold the No. 1 pick.

But having missed the playoffs for the past four seasons and firmly in the throes of a rebuild, the Jazz took the risk to grab who they believed to be the best prospect available at their spot.