Still, just days after former Kansas Jayhawk guard Darryn Peterson was drafted second overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2026 NBA Draft, KU fans are still buzzing about the excitement for him finally playing in the big league. His one-and-done college season was tainted by a string of leg cramps that limited him to less than 100% basically the entire year.
Despite the setbacks, Peterson still played in 24 games and averaged over 20 points per contest on 44-38-83 shooting splits to go along with four rebounds and two forced turnovers per game. That production, along with the level at which he played in his final season of high school, made the Jazz feel more than comfortable enough to pick him as the future of their franchise.
What's even better is that Darryn isn't the only Peterson to have the chops of being a professional athlete. His older brother, Darryl Peterson III, played college football at Wisconsin and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams this past April. This milestone marked the first time in sports history that two brothers have entered the NBA and NFL in the same year. There have been numerous sibling duos throughout both pro leagues, but never one in each, which makes this family accomplishment that much sweeter.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and his older brother made history this past week by doing something that's never been done before
A five-year linebacker at the University of Wisconsin, Darryl accumulated 139 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks. Unlike his younger brother Darryn, he did not get drafted, but was rather picked up later by the Rams, who recently won the Super Bowl in 2021 and are coming off an impressive 12-5 season where quarterback Matthew Stafford won the MVP award.
Darryl, no doubt, has an uphill battle to make the final 53-man roster as an undrafted guy, but he also has the chance to make the team's 17-player practice squad by roster cutdown day. While the former Jayhawk in Darryn will see no shortage of playing time as a premier prospect, he will likely be a starter on day one.
Peterson fits in well with a young Jazz team, with other young budding stars in Keyonte George and Ace Bailey, along with proven veterans in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. Sometimes in sports, things have a tendency to work out and provide us with some great, heartfelt stories. And in the case of the Peterson brothers, that is definitely the outcome for the former Jayhawk and Badger.
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