JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Christian Laettner, Stephen Curry, Kemba Walker, Anthony Davis.
These names, which have become synonymous with college basketball greatness, forged their legend status through incredible shotmaking, late-game heroics, and success in the annual NCAA tournament, known to many as “March Madness.”
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This year, the Florida Gators have had the pleasure of witnessing one of their players do everything possible to cement his name among the college greats: Walter Clayton Jr.
Once touted as a highly skilled football recruit, Clayton has the Gators one win away from winning its third title in school history, but his journey to stardom wasn’t as linear as others.
Florida roots
Clayton, 22, was born in Sebring, Florida, but his family moved to Lake Wales when he was 10 years old, where he quickly became a youth football standout.
“He was just a special breed, and I’m not talking about the way he controlled the defensive backfield,” said Lake Wales football coach Tavaris Johnson while speaking with Gators senior writer Chris Harry. “If you just watched him walk the hallways, there was a presence about him. He had this humble, laid-back demeanor, but that all changed on the field. Walter made a name for himself right away.”
Clayton’s performance on the football field quickly earned him offers from premier football programs like Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Georgia, and more.
Compared to the offers he was receiving for basketball from schools like Elon, Jacksonville University, and Florida Gulf Coast, it seemed as if the decision to play football would make itself.
Then, in an effort to gain more exposure in the basketball world, Clayton and his mother went to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
“We got there, and they said, ‘We don’t have anything for you in basketball, but we’ll definitely take you for football,‘” Clayton said.
It was at that moment that Clayton decided to put down the football cleats for good and permanently exchange them for a pair of basketball sneakers.
And the rest is history.
Iona and learning from Rick Pitino
After leaving Lake Wales and transferring to Bartow High School, Lake Wales’ rival, Clayton led the team to back-to-back state championships right before the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited his recruiting opportunities.
However, during his senior season, he attended a virtual camp in Orlando where his play caught the eye of an assistant coach at Iona University, which was led at the time by legendary head coach Rick Pitino.
“Pitino’s assessment: ‘Fat, slow and can’t shoot … but he can pass,’ Chris Harry wrote.
The ability to pass the ball at a high level was seemingly enough for Pitino to give Clayton a shot because, after a Zoom interview, a scholarship offer was presented, which led to Clayton choosing to join the program without ever even visiting the campus.
While at Iona, Clayton started as a freshman, but it was in his second year when he began showing signs of greatness, leading the team in multiple statistical categories, including points, steals, and 3-point percentage.
He also spoke highly of Pitino’s coaching style and the effect it had on his game.
“He uses reverse psychology by saying, ‘You can’t do this’ or ‘You don’t want that.’ For some guys that doesn’t work. It did for me because I understood that I had to adjust to him, not vice versa, and set aside any bad feelings,” Clayton said. “It wasn’t personal, it was basketball.”
His second season at Iona unfortunately ended with a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament to the eventual champion UConn Huskies.
Following his sophomore season at Iona, Clayton decided he wanted to pursue greatness elsewhere and quickly became one of the most sought-after recruits in the transfer portal.
After “doing his research” on new head coach Todd Golden, spending some time on UF’s campus and even joining the football team on the sidelines, Clayton made his decision to transfer to the University of Florida.
Run at collegiate greatness
After joining the Gators in his junior season, Clayton immediately established himself as one of the best players on the team, averaging 17.6 points a game and leading Florida to a 7 seed in the 2024 NCAA tournament, which was notable because the team had missed out on the tournament in the two previous seasons.
The Gators would take a 102-100 loss to Colorado, but it wasn’t due to any lack of effort on Clayton’s end, who ended the game with a game-high 33 points.
Clayton would crank up his efforts even more the following season, and the results have been a pleasure to watch for all college basketball fans, not just Gator supporters.
In the 2024-2025 season, Clayton is averaging career highs in points (18.5), assists (4.1) and 3-point percentage (39%), which has earned him All-SEC First Team honors, All-American First Team honors, and was consistently mentioned throughout the year as a finalist for the National Player of the Year award, which ultimately went to Duke forward Cooper Flagg. He has also shot up NBA draft boards.
Now, as the 2025 National Championship Game approaches, Clayton has an opportunity to add a title to what has already been a phenomenal season that included scintillating performances against two-time defending champion UConn in the Round of 32, Maryland in the Sweet 16, Texas Tech in the Elite 8, and Auburn in the Final Four. Clayton had 34 points against Auburn to lead the Gators to the title game.
Clayton and the Gators take on the Houston Cougars in San Antonio on Monday night for a chance to secure Florida’s first National Championship since 2007.
