Walter Clayton Jr: March Madness standout who could have been a college football star

For anyone who has followed along with college basketball this season, or is even just now tuning in for March Madness, you should be familiar with the name Walter Clayton Jr. The senior guard for the University of Florida has been a top player in the sport and was just recently named a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year award. While he is now an NBA Draft prospect who is dominating on the hardwood at the collegiate level, averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting just over 38% from three, that may not have always been the plan.

Going back to 2018 Clayton was a phenomenal two sport high school athlete who had just picked up the sport of football as a freshman, but looked to have a promising future on the gridiron. He played both sides of the ball as a wide receiver and safety along with some snaps at quarterback for Lake Wales High School in central Florida. 

After an impressive sophomore season (highlights) on the defensive side of the ball where he tallied 51 tackles, one interception, six pass deflections, and a fumble recovery the offers started to roll in. These were not just any offers either as they came from some notable big time college football programs in Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Florida. Rivals had Clayton listed as a 6'3" 185 lbs. 3-star athlete prospect with a 5.5 rating despite only playing organized football for two years.

At that time the two sport stud was not getting much attention in the basketball recruiting world so he went on a visit to IMG Academy in hopes of an opportunity that would lend him exposure on the court. Instead he got the opposite as they offered him a spot on the football team. With how rigorous the two sports are, the fact that very rarely does one play both at the collegiate level, and a desire to prove people wrong, Clayton ultimately decided to give up the sport of football and fully focus on basketball. 

He would then transfer schools for his junior year to nearby basketball power Bartow High School where he helped lead his team to consecutive state championships in his two seasons there. Being in the class of 2021 and a senior season played under pandemic restrictions, he struggled in finding a program at the next level that wanted him. The offers came, but they were nowhere near as big as what he hoped for or what he had in the past for football. He ended up committing to Iona with head coach Rick Pitino over offers from East Carolina, Florida A&M, and Jacksonville among others. 

That decision would end up paying off big time as Clayton had an impressive two year run with the Gaels that included a sophomore campaign where he averaged 16.8 pts, 4.3 reb, 3.2 ast, and 1.8 stl making him a top target in the transfer portal. He would land close to home at the University of Florida where he now is and has become one of the top players in the nation. My favorite part in all of this is the fact that as a high school athlete he held an offer from Florida for football instead of basketball, where he now has the chance to go down as one of the Gator greats on the hardwood.

With his quickness, explosiveness, and keen decision making on the court, it is easy to see how Walter Clayton Jr. was once a top football prospect. In the end it all worked out well as he is now in the Sweet 16 leading one of the best teams in college basketball, but you cannot help but wonder about the star he could have been on the football field.