Clayton is the 14th different Gator honored as Roy F. Kramer Athlete of the Year
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -Walter Clayton Jr. has been named the Southeastern Conference’s Roy F. Kramer Male Athlete of the Year, the SEC announced on Tuesday.
Clayton led the Gators to the 2025 men’s basketball national championship while garnering Final Four Most Outstanding Player recognition and consensus first-team All-America honors. He becomes Florida’s 14th all-time Kramer Athlete of the Year honoree (17 total honors) and the first in men’s basketball.
Clayton is UF’s sixth male athlete so honored, joining Danny Wuerffel (1995, ’96), Ryan Lochte (2005), Tim Tebow (2007, ’08), Caeleb Dressel (2018) and Grant Holloway (2019). This also marks the third straight year that Florida has had an honoree with Parker Valby (2024) and Trinity Thomas (2023) 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.
The Lake Wales, Fla., native averaged 18.3 points last season, and his 713 total points set Florida’s single-season record. He was at his best in the biggest moments, as he recorded a career-high 34 points in the Final Four vs. Auburn on the heels of 30 in the Elite Eight victory vs. Texas Tech, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to post 30+ points in back-to-back games in the regional final or later.
Clayton also averaged 20.7 points and shot 13-for-26 from 3-point range in the SEC Tournament to win MVP and All-Tournament Team honors as UF won the event for the first time since 2014.
Clayton graduated from UF in Spring 2025 with a degree in Educational Sciences and was selected 18th overall in the NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz.
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Florida’s SEC Athletes of the Year
2025
Walter Clayton Jr.
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 Haeger
Softball
2014
Hannah Rogers
Softball
2009
Tim Tebow
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
2025 Male Nominees: Mark Sears, Alabama (basketball); Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas (baseball); Johni Broome, Auburn (basketball); Walter Clayton Jr., Florida (basketball); Luca Urlando, Georgia (swimming); Carlie Makarawu, Kentucky (track & field); Kade Anderson, LSU (baseball); Michael La Sasso, Ole Miss (golf); Peyton Bair, Mississippi State (track & field); Jonathan Seremes, Missouri (track & field); Ralford Mullings, Oklahoma (track & field); LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (football); Jordan Crooks, Tennessee (swimming); Hubert Kos, Texas (swimming); Sam Whitmarsh, Texas A&M (track & field); Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (football)
2025 Female Nominees: Doris Lemngole, Alabama (cross country/track & field); Bri Ellis, Arkansas (softball); DJ Bennett, Auburn (tennis), Leanne Wong, Florida (gymnastics); Dasha Vidmanova (female winner), Georgia (tennis); Brooklyn DeLeye, Kentucky (volleyball); Aneesah Morrow, LSU (basketball); Caitlyn Macnab, Ole Miss (golf); Maddy Anderson, Mississippi State (soccer); Helen Hu, Missouri (gymnastics); Jordan Bowers, Oklahoma (gymnastics); JaMeesia Ford, South Carolina (track & field); Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee (softball); Madison Booker, Texas (basketball); Jaiya Covington, Texas A&M (track & field); Celia-Belle Mohr, Vanderbilt (tennis)
Roy F. Kramer Southeastern Conference Athlete of the Year Recipients
Year
Male
Female
2025
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida (basketball)
Dasha Vidmanova, Georgia (tennis)
2024
Jayden Daniels, LSU (football)
Parker Valby, Florida (cross country/track & field)
2023
Dylan Crews, LSU (baseball)
Trinity Thomas, Florida (gymnastics)
2022
Bryce Young, Alabama (football)
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (basketball)
2021
DeVonta Smith, Alabama (football)
Madison Lilley, Kentucky (volleyball)
2020
Joe Burrow, LSU (football)
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina (basketball)
2019
Grant Holloway, Florida (track)
Maria Fassi, Arkansas (golf)
2018
Caeleb Dressel, Florida (swimming)
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina (basketball)
2017
Brent Rooker, Mississippi State (baseball)
Kendell Williams, Georgia (track & field)
2016
Jarrion Lawson, Arkansas (track & field)
Bridget Sloan, Florida (gymnastics)
2015
Andrew Benintendi, Arkansas (baseball)
Lauren Haeger, Florida (softball)
2014
A.J. Reed, Kentucky (baseball)
Hannah Rogers, Florida (softball)
2013
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (football)
Allison Schmitt, Georgia (swimming)
2012
Anthony Davis, Kentucky (basketball)
Brooke Pancake, Alabama (golf)
2011
John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee (tennis)
Kayla Hoffman, Alabama (gymnastics)
2010
Mark Ingram, Alabama (football)
Susan Jackson, LSU (gymnastics)
2009
Tim Tebow, Florida (football)
Courtney Kupets, Georgia (gymnastics)
2008
Tim Tebow, Florida (football)
Candace Parker, Tennessee (basketball)
2007
David Price, Vanderbilt (baseball)
Monica Abbott, Tennessee (softball)
2006
Xavier Carter, LSU (track & field)
Seimone Augustus, LSU (basketball)
2005
Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming)
Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming)
2004
Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track)
Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics)
2003
Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track)
LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball)
2002
Walter Lewis, LSU (track & field)
Andree’ Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics)
2001
Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis)
Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track)
2000
Kip Bouknight, South Carolina (baseball)
Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming)
1999
Tim Couch, Kentucky (football)
Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball)
1998
Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football)
Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball)
1997
Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football)
Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball)
1996
Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football)
Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball)
1995
Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball)
Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics)
1994
Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball)
Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming)
1993
Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball)
Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming)
1992
Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball)
Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf)
1991
Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball)
Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball)
1990
Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball)
Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics)
1989
Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football)
Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball)
1988
Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball)
Dara Torres, Florida (swimming)
1987
Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football)
Lillie Leatherwood King, Alabama (track & field)
1986
Bo Jackson, Auburn (football)
Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball)
1985
Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball)
Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics)
1984
Terry Hoage, Georgia (football)
Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming)
1983
Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field)
1982
Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball)
1981
Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming)
1980
Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball)
1979
Reggie King, Alabama (basketball)
1978
Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball)
1977
Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football)
1976
Harvey Glance, Auburn (track & field)
