Michigan Wolverines Re-Enters Race For No. 3 Ranked Prospect, Seven Others In Mix

Michigan Wolverines basketball coach Dusty May has done impressive work in a short time to give the Michigan Wolverines a chance to be competitive in the new-look Big 10 for the upcoming season.

May’s first recruiting class, which included nine players, was ranked 41 in the nation by 247Sports and ninth in the transfer market. With May’s first recruiting class now complete, he can now start focusing on next year.

According to Chris Peterson of Blue By Ninety, Michigan is back in the mix for top-5 2025 recruit Darryn Peterson.

May said that he wanted to be good right away and put the Wolverines in a position to do that with his additions via the portal. Yet, May also said he wanted to focus on high school recruiting and has made 5-star Darryn Peterson, the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2025 class (via 247 Sports composite) a top priority.

Michigan Wolverines Re-Enters Race For No. 3 Ranked Prospect, Seven Others In Mix

Michigan started recruiting Peterson while Juwon Howard was head coach and made his top-8 list. However, Chris Peterson said Darryn Peterson re-opened his recruitment following Howard’s firing and coaching changes at four other schools. The Wolverines re-offered Peterson last week.

Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Ohio State, Baylor, and Indiana were the other schools involved before Peterson re-opened his recruitment.

Daryl Peterson, Darryn’s dad, recently spoke to Davis Mosely of 247Sports shortly after Michigan re-entered the picture.

Michigan called us to re-introduce themselves.We were always excited about Juwan, back then it wasn’t as much about Michigan as it was Juwan. With the new staff, it’s all about building that back up. We have watched (Dusty) for a while now and we see that the style fits what Darryn does. (Michigan) wants him with the ball in his hands at the point.

Who Is Darryn Peterson?

Peterson is a 6-5 combo guard from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. This past season, he transferred from Cuyahoga Falls Christian Academy to Huntington Prep. He may return to Huntington Prep for his senior season, or there has been some talk about transferring to Overtime Elite in Atlanta.

Darryl Peterson told Eric Bossi of 247Sports last month that Darryn is prioritizing preparing for college basketball this upcoming year.

At this point with colleges in the transfer portal so heavy we just want to put him in the best environment possible to prepare him and start going against older guys now.”

Peterson, the first high school player to get an NIL deal from Addidas, plays AAU ball with the Phenom United. Peterson was also part of Team USA 2023 U-16 team FIBA Americas Gold Medal winning team that defeated Canada 118-36 in the championships. He averaged 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 steals in the tournament.

Peterson is a consensus five-star recruit. Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN rank him No. 3 in the class, while On3 ranks him No. 4.

Here is On3’s scouting report on Peterson:

Darryn Peterson has a basketball player’s frame; long arms with broad shoulders. He is a smooth player with the ball in his hands. Comfortable handling in the half and the full court. Peterson can get downhill and touch the paint where he is a crafty finisher at the rim. He also has the explosion to dunk, in traffic. The jump shot needs to continue to develop as he is currently a streaky shooter from beyond the arc. Peterson creates offense for himself, already at a high rate. There is more growth and upside to go as he tracks as one of the nation’s top prospects in his class.

What Schools Is Peterson Interested In?

Peterson has been in constant contact with eight schools, including three holdovers from his previous top 8 list: Ohio State, Michigan, Kansas, and Kentucky. Louisville, South Carolina, USC, and Washington are the others. According to his father, Peterson is seriously considering visiting all eight schools.

So, what is Peterson looking for?

“I want a program where the coaches will hold me accountable, they’re a winning organization, and a place that want me to get better,” Peterson told 247Sports. “My end goal is to get to the NBA, so I want a program that can help me get there.”

Peterson previously spoke to Jaime Shaw of On3 about his recruitment before him re-opening his recruitment.

Michigan Wolverines

Peterson made an official trip to Ann Arbor last year and plans to make another trip there soon.

“We are absolutely planning to take another visit to Michigan,” Peterson’s dad said. “We have to find the right time and schedule the time to make these trips, but we are working with all the schools to get on campus.”

Michigan has 26 open offers to 2025 prospects. The Wolverines are given a 1.0% chance of landing Peterson.

Kentucky Wildcats

Peterson visited Kentucky on March 6. Kentucky doesn’t have a commitment for 2025 and has seven open offers. On3 gives the Wildcats a 5.4% chance of landing Peterson, which is the second-best odds.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Peterson took an official visit to Columbus last season. The Buckeyes have 21 open offers to 2025 prospects.

“That’s my hometown. When I was on my visit, they kept telling me I can be a hometown hero there. That would be cool for me too.”

OSU is given a 1.2% chance of landing Peterson by On 3.

Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas is given the best chance to land Peterson by On3 at 89.6%. The Jayhawks have 26 open offers to 2025 prospects.