Gators star Walter Clayton Jr., who transferred to Florida after starting at Iona, gives NIL and portal advice

Walter Clayton Jr. lived the imagination of each assemblage hoops subordinate Monday night, becoming a nationalist champion with his Florida Gators. 

But erstwhile Clayton was coming retired of Bartow High School successful Florida, helium was trying to take betwixt playing shot oregon hoops successful college. He had offers from the Gators, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska and West Virginia to play football, but helium yet chose hoops and followed Rick Pitino to Iona. 

After 2 seasons and Pitino taking the St. John’s job, Clayton transferred to Todd Golden’s programme successful Gainesville for the 2023-24 campaign. Two years later, the Gators are backmost connected apical with a 65-63 nationalist rubric triumph implicit the Houston Cougars. 

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Florida Gators defender Walter Clayton Jr. celebrates aft winning the 2025 nationalist title crippled astatine the Alamodome. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

The transportation portal, arsenic good arsenic name, representation and likeness opportunities, person allowed prima assemblage athletes successful mid-major schools to determination connected to big-time programs with the accidental of playing close away, gathering their idiosyncratic marque connected and disconnected the court. 

Clayton is conscionable 1 of galore examples, and helium had proposal for aboriginal athletes who could beryllium successful the aforesaid concern arsenic helium was earlier that 2023-24 season, making a determination that changed his life.

"The lone proposal I tin truly springiness is support moving and spot your work," Clayton told Fox News Digital portion moving a celebratory "shift" astatine Raising Cane’s alongside Gators teammates Alijah Martin and Thomas Haugh successful Gainesville. 

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"Nothing is going to beryllium fixed to you. When I came to Florida, they were 16-17. Obviously, it was [Todd] Golden’s archetypal year, and helium wanted to marque things better. He didn’t committedness maine anything. I told him I was going to travel here, and I was going to work. So, thing is going to beryllium guaranteed to you. Just support connected working."

Clayton played for his location state’s assemblage and rapidly became a focal constituent of the offense, averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He initially declared for the NBA Draft but decided helium had unfinished concern successful Gainesville, which paid disconnected Monday night. 

Florida Gators defender Walter Clayton Jr. celebrates aft winning the 2025 nationalist title astatine the Alamodome. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

Clayton had 1 of the champion seasons successful Florida hoops history, helping the Gators to their champion wide grounds successful programme past astatine 27-4, besides an SEC record. He was named a first-team All-American aft averaging 17.2 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds, and the NBA Draft is calling yet again. 

Because of his stardom, Clayton’s NIL valuation is $1.2 million, according to On3.

Another illustration of however beneficial the portal and NIL tin beryllium is with Martin, who helped Florida Atlantic University scope the Final Four 2 years ago. His 5th and last assemblage play was with the Gators this twelvemonth aft 4 seasons with the Owls, and helium produced his champion twelvemonth with a career-high 14.4 points per crippled arsenic a starting defender alongside Clayton. 

Alijah Martin, Walter Clayton Jr. and Thomas Haugh enactment a celebratory "shift" astatine Raising Cane's April 10, 2025, successful Gainesville, Fla. (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Raising Cane's)

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So, portion determination are detractors of the caller strategy of assemblage sports, determination are benefits for athletes similar Clayton.

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