Clayton Jr. Named SEC Male Athlete of the Year

Walter Clayton Jr. led the Florida Gators to its third national championship, averaging 18.3 points per game and becoming the program's first First-Team All-American.

Walter Clayton Jr. was named the SEC's Male Athlete of the Year. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

Walter Clayton Jr. continues to rack up the accolades, even after his time with the Florida Gators is over.

The All-American guard on Tuesday was named the Southeastern Conference's Roy F. Kramer Male Athlete of the Year, the league announced. He is Florida's 14th all-time Kramer Athlete of the Year winner and first from the men's basketball program.

Walt. 🗣️https://t.co/FPVlyAtfNm#GoGators pic.twitter.com/1P3PCKFLps

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) July 9, 2025

Clayton Jr. exited the program as one of the all-time greats after averaging 18.3 points per game and leading Florida to its third national championship. His 713 total points last season and 62 consecutive games with a 3-pointer made are program records.

In the Gators' biggest games, Clayton Jr. showed up in the biggest moments.

During Florida's run in the NCAA Tournament, he became the first player since Larry Bird to score 30 points in back-to-back games at the regional final or later after a 30-point effort in the Elite Eight win over Texas Tech and a career-high 34-point effort in the Final Four.

He was eventually named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, to the NCAA All-Tournament Team, the SEC Tournament MVP and the SEC All-Tournament Team.

Clayton Jr. was drafted 18th overall by the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Utah Jazz in the 2025 NBA Draft, giving Florida its first first-round pick since 2021.

Clayton Jr.'s latest accolade marks the third-straight year a Gator has been named an SEC Athlete of the Year, joining cross country/track and field's Parker Valby in 2024 and gymnastics' Trinity Thomas in 2023.

He is also the first men's basketball player to win the award since Kentucky's Anthony Davis in 2012.

Florida leads the conference with eight male and nine female Athlete of the Year winners. The full list of Gators honored can be found below.

Florida SEC Athletes of the Year

Year	Athlete	Sport
2025	Walter Clayton Jr.	Men's Basketball
2024	Parker Valby	Cross Country/Track & Field
2023	Trinity Thomas	Gymnastics
2019	Grant Holloway	Track & Field
2018	Caeleb Dressel	Swimming
2016	Bridget Sloan	Gymnastics
2015	Lauren Haegar	Softball
2014	Hannah Rogers	Softball
2009	Tim Tebow	Football
2008	Tim Tebow	Football
2005	Ryan Lochte	Swimming
1997	Danny Wuerffel	Football
1996	Danny Wuerffel	Football
1994	Nicole Haislett	Swimming
1993	Nicole Haislett	Swimming
1988	Dara Torres	Swimming
1984	Tracy Caulkins	Swimming