Florida point guard Walter Clayton named SEC Male Athlete of the Year

Former Florida superstar Walter Clayton has been named the 2025 SEC Roy F. Kramer Male Athlete of the Year, the SEC announced on Wednesday. The news comes on the heels of Clayton posting a 20-point outing in the NBA Summer League.

He’s had no trouble adjusting to the new level of competition so far in the pros, though that will come as little surprise to Florida fans. While in school, Clayton helped lead the Gators to a national championship.

He averaged 18.3 points while doing so, and his 713 total points set Florida’s single-season school record. Walter Clayton also had a knack for being clutch, coming up with some of his biggest baskets at the most opportune moments, many in the NCAA Tournament.

He scored a career-high 34 points in a Final Four win over Auburn, right after scoring 30 points in a come-from-behind thriller over Texas Tech in the Elite Eight. That made him the first player since Larry Bird to post 30+ points in back-to-back games in the regional final or later.

Clayton was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player as a result of his tournament heroics, and Florida claimed its third national title as a program. The former Iona guard was a huge part of Florida’s success and a testament to the power of the transfer portal.

After initially transferring to Florida ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Walter Clayton burst onto the scene in the SEC by averaging 17.6 points per game. He led the Gators to the NCAA Tournament, though the program would suffer a first-round exit.

That fueled Clayton to return for another season. The veteran guard passed up on an opportunity at the NBA Draft, hoping another year of development would further help his cause.

Did it ever. Clayton turned into a household name and a superstar.

After his remarkable run at Florida, he was selected in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, going with the No. 18 overall pick. Already Clayton appears to be making a name for himself at the next level. On Tuesday night, he dropped 20 points, four assists, a rebound, a steal and a block in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Summer League.

As far as the SEC Male Athlete of the Year recognition for Walter Clayton, he became the 14th all-time Athlete of the Year honoree for the Gators. He is the first in men’s basketball.

He is the sixth male athlete honored at Florida. He joins Danny Wuerffel (1995, ’96), Ryan Lochte (2005), Tim Tebow (2007, ’08), Caeleb Dressel (2018) and Grant Holloway (2019).