Florida basketball's Walter Clayton Jr. named 2025 SEC Male Athlete of the Year
Clayton, who is originally from Lake Wales, Florida, but arrived in Gainesville by way of the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, was one of the most prolific players in college hoops this past season, carrying the Orange and Blue on his shoulders to its third-ever national championship. He has amassed a multitude of accolades as a Gator, making him one of the most-decorated Florida hoopster of all time.
During the program's championship run, Clayton was a consensus first-team All-American while earning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player and SEC Tournament MVP awards along the way. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team in the three aforementioned postseason events.
Additionally, he was named to the First Team All-SEC, Wooden Award Top 5, Cousy Award Finalist and First Team NABC All-District while setting a Florida single-season record with 713 points; Clayton's 117 3-point field goals made ranked second all-time on the team, while his 235 overall field goals made ranked fifth.
As a result, the UF alumnus was selected 18th overall pick in the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.
Clayton is the university's sixth male athlete honored, joining Danny Wuerffel (1995, 1996), Ryan Lochte (2005), Tim Tebow (2007, 2008), Caeleb Dressel (2018) and Grant Holloway (2019). It also marks the third straight year that the Gators have earned the award, following Parker Valby's efforts in 2024 and Trinity Thomas' performance in 2023 — both taking home Female Athlete of the Year recognition.
Florida leads the SEC all-time with eight male and nine female Athlete of the Year honors.
2025 SEC Male Athlete of the Year nominees
Florida's SEC Athletes of the Year history
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