Kentucky Makes First Offer In 2025 Class

John Calipari already has Robert Dillingham, Justin Edwards, and Reed Sheppard locked up in the class of 2023 and is in a great position to add the likes of DJ Wagner, Ron Holland, and Aaron Bradshaw. He also has already made eight official offers to the top recruits in the class of 2024 including Ian Jackson, Tre Johnson, and Kentucky's own Travis Perry. And now, one of the best players in the class of 2025, Ohio guard Darryn Peterson, has officially received an offer from the University of Kentucky per recruiting expert Andrew Slater.

Peterson, a 6'3" 165 lbs sophomore, is listed as the fourth overall player and top ranked shooting guard in his class (Rivals). The 15 year old prospect has great size and athleticism for his position, can get to his spots on offense with ease, and is arguably one of the most talented finishers at his age that we have seen in some time. His ability to hang in the air and finish above, around, or through defenders makes him one of the most talented scorers in all of high school basketball. His jump shot is still needing improvement and consistency, but is still further developed than a lot of the other prospects at his age. It also might be of note that Peterson's AAU team is the New Jersey Scholars, the program that fellow UK targets DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw play for as well.

While it may seem premature to hype up a basketball player who has only played a single year of high school basketball, I do think there is a reason Coach Cal offered him as early as he did. Calipari has established a precedent of not rushing to make offers until he can see how players develop throughout high school. Peterson getting an offer ahead of his sophomore season tells me that this is a talent Calipari will refuse to miss out on.

Calipari already offering in the class of 2025 tells me he might not be stepping down as Kentucky basketball's head coach any time soon. While he is officially signed through 2029, a combination of his age approaching the mid 60's and a consecutive pair of disappointing seasons have lead some to hypothesize that Calipari's retirement may be expedited. If Calipari is offering to coach players who still have three years of high school left, he may still be here a little longer after all. And if he can continue to bring in talents like Darryn Peterson, the Big Blue Nation should be excited for what is to come.