Walter Clayton Jr. lived the dream of every college basketball player Monday night, becoming a national champion with his Florida Gators.
But when Clayton was coming out of Bartow High School in Florida, he was trying to choose between playing football or basketball in college. He had offers from the Gators, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Nebraska and West Virginia to play football, but he eventually chose basketball and followed Rick Pitino to Iona.
After two seasons and Pitino taking the St. John’s job, Clayton transferred to Todd Golden’s program in Gainesville for the 2023-24 campaign. Two years later, the Gators are back on top with a 65-63 national title win over the Houston Cougars.
The transfer portal, as well as name, image and likeness opportunities, have allowed star college athletes in mid-major schools to move on to big-time programs with the chance of playing right away, building their personal brand on and off the court.
Clayton is just one of many examples, and he had advice for future athletes who could be in the same situation as he was before that 2023-24 season, making a decision that changed his life.
"The only advice I can really give is keep working and trust your work," Clayton told Fox News Digital while working a celebratory "shift" at Raising Cane’s alongside Gators teammates Alijah Martin and Thomas Haugh in Gainesville.
"Nothing is going to be given to you. When I came to Florida, they were 16-17. Obviously, it was [Todd] Golden’s first year, and he wanted to make things better. He didn’t promise me anything. I told him I was going to come here, and I was going to work. So, nothing is going to be guaranteed to you. Just keep on working."
Clayton played for his home state’s university and quickly became a focal point of the offense, averaging 17.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. He initially declared for the NBA Draft but decided he had unfinished business in Gainesville, which paid off Monday night.
Clayton had one of the best seasons in Florida basketball history, helping the Gators to their best overall record in program history at 27-4, also an SEC record. He was named a first-team All-American after 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 example of how beneficial the portal and NIL can be is with Martin, who helped Florida Atlantic University reach the Final Four two years ago. His fifth and final college season was with the Gators this year after four seasons with the Owls, and he produced his best year with a career-high 14.4 points per game as a starting guard alongside Clayton.
So, while there are detractors of the new system of college sports, there are benefits for athletes like Clayton.
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The NFL Draft is inching closer and closer and teams have visited some of the best players available in the pool this year.
Last week, Fox News Digital released its first mock draft for the 2025 event. The second edition of the mock draft features some changes within the first 10 picks and a massive surprise when it comes to quarterbacks.
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the Titans, with a new regime, will start all over. Cam Ward has separated himself from the pack in recent weeks, and all signs point that he will be in Nashville. Sorry, Will Levis.
Early draft projections had Travis Hunter going as high as No. 1. Even if a quarterback needed by the Titans keeps that from happening, Hunter's generational allure can't project to fall any further past No. 2 to the Browns, who have nothing to lose and everything to gain as a franchise from taking a chance on Hunter.
The New York Giants have operated like a team that does not want to take Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 overall. They were in on acquiring Matthew Stafford before he decided to return to Los Angeles. They were interested in Aaron Rodgers before they signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. With Hunter off the board, the Giants will take Carter to bolster their defensive front alongside Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
With Hunter and Carter both being selected, the Patriots, needing to revamp their offensive line, get to work quickly with an LSU tackle.
Campbell is someone who slots in immediately as new head coach Mike Vrabel’s starting left tackle. Drake Maye, the team’s rookie quarterback in 2024, was running for his life most of the time, and that just can’t happen if the Pats wish to rebuild properly.
Instead of trading out, they grab a necessary piece that could project to be Maye’s blindside protector for the foreseeable future.
The Jaguars add Graham to their defensive front, giving star pass rusher Travon Walker a running mate along Jacksonville’s defensive front.
Shedeur Sanders and the Raiders have always seemed like the perfect match. The former Colorado quarterback falls to No. 6 in this mock draft, but he gets to have Tom Brady as his owner, Geno Smith as his mentor and Pete Carroll as his head coach.
Is it the sexy pick? No. But with increasing injuries and other issues on their offensive line, the Jets forgo Tyler Warren and give Justin Fields some much-needed protection and the running game a much-needed most.
The Panthers are getting closer, appearing to have a potential franchise quarterback in Bryce Young. They can make their defense more of a sure thing by recreating a dominant defensive line that's anchored the team in previous eras, and Jalon Walker can be a cornerstone of that kind of line.
If Shedeur Sanders fell to them, I also think the Saints would be tempted to take him with the No. 9 pick. But with Sanders in Las Vegas, the Saints pivot to Jaxson Dart instead. With the Dart selection, the Saints are following the Falcons draft last season when they selected Michael Penix Jr. despite having just signed Kirk Cousins. The Saints would let Dart sit for a season and develop will they start Derek Carr for one more season.
With GM Ryan Poles going to work on the offensive line, revamping with free agent additions, he continues the trend of giving quarterback Caleb Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson all that they need to work with on offense.
Warren is the consensus top tight end in this class, and he truly does it all with his ability to make plays with the ball thrown his way while playing well in blocking schemes when he doesn’t.
With Cole Kmet also on the roster, Johnson can have fun with these two tight ends, but Warren is the future at the position.
The 49ers replenish their secondary after suffering some key losses to that position group this offseason.
Ashton Jeanty’s own interest in playing for the Cowboys bubbled up at the beginning of the year. He’s on the board here at No. 12, though he could go higher once the draft begins. Jeanty was a top candidate for the Heisman Trophy last year and could add a power punch to the Cowboys’ offense.
This may be a bit of a reach, but this is a team need for Miami. The Dolphins need to continue to keep Tua Tagovailoa upright, and this is a way to do it.
Arguably the best cornerback in the draft behind Hunter, Will Johnson can be penciled in as a guy who can take care of half the field on deep passing downs. A team like the Colts can't afford to pass on that kind of coverage asset.
With Matthew Judon still a free agent, the Falcons need to add some depth to their pass rush. They started by signing Leonard Floyd in free agency and continue to do so with the selection of Stewart.
A riser on the draft board, Golden clocked a sub-4.3 40-yard dash during his Texas Pro Day, and evaluators are liking him to go higher in the first round than previously predicted.
The Cardinals took Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall selection in 2024, and head coach Jonathan Gannon gets another top playmaker for Kyler Murray to work with. Golden gives Murray a deep-ball threat to go along with the reliable Trey McBride and a second-year Harrison. Anchored with a James Conner-led backfield, the Cardinals’ offense could be primed for a breakout season.
The Bills don’t miss the opportunity to bolster their defensive line by adding a big body like Grant, a player with plenty of upside.
The Seahawks are going to need some extra protection for Sam Darnold at quarterback and Simmons here makes the most sense. He doesn’t move any higher or lower from the first Fox News Digital mock draft last week.
Baker Mayfield has tapped into his No. 1 pick potential since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and this offense can become that much better by picking the 2024 national champion.
The Broncos can give Bo Nix a balance to the offensive backfield with the addition of Omarion Hampton. As a punishing power back, opposing defenses will have to respect the run in short-down situations with Nix under center, creating plenty of play-action opportunities for Nix.
The Steelers lost left tackle Dan Moore Jr. in free agency to the Titans and need to make sure that whoever is playing quarterback (Aaron Rodgers?) will have time to get the ball out to George Pickens and DK Metcalf. Banks is someone who can come in and start on day 1 for Mike Tomlin and be effective.
Jim Harbaugh is sprinting this pick in as McMillan, considered to be a potential top-10 selection, slips all the way down here to No. 22.
The Chargers hit on Ladd McConkey last year on day 2, and Justin Herbert gets another young threat that provides a different skill set. McMillan could emulate what Herbert did with Keenan Allen, someone who has good technical route-running with the ability to make tough catches and break open a game.
McMillan tallied 3,423 yards with 26 touchdowns in his time at Arizona, and at 6-foot-4, expect Herbert to love looking his way in the red zone.
The Packers buck their trend of passing on wide receivers in the first round. Egbuka’s versatility would certainly be a welcome addition in Green Bay. The former Ohio State standout is also a prolific blocker.
The Vikings took a hit in the secondary when they lost Cam Bynum to the Colts. Jahdae Barron could add some depth with Jeff Okudah and Tavierre Thomas fighting for starting jobs this season.
It goes without question that Houston needs to bolster the offensive line, and the North Dakota State product has experience in each spot. He’s shooting up big boards, understandably so.
Campbell can play standing upright or rush the passer at a high level, deepening the Rams' defensive front that helped get them back to the playoffs last year.
Derrick Harmon slots in at defensive tackle for John Harbaugh and can make an immediate impact on day 1. Harmon had five sacks last season and would bring a pass-rushing ability to the interior of the Ravens’ defensive line. The addition of Harmon would only strengthen a defense that was outstanding down the stretch as they only gave up 17.75 points per game in their last eight regular-season games.
Another player that has slipped here in the first round, Williams’ draft stock was never in doubt for day 1, but it was a matter of when. With Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes needing some more pass rush, it was a no-brainer to run this pick in for the Georgia product.
An ankle injury held Williams back last season, but explosion is a trait experts and fans alike see when he is on the field healthy. With Aidan Hutchinson, who should be fully recovered from his leg fracture that kept him out most of last season, on the other side of the defensive line, Williams could have 1-on-1 opportunities to exploit in his rookie campaign.
Washington's offense performed well with Jayden Daniels under center. So the team elects to address the defensive line following the departure of Jonathan Allen. Williams could pair well with Pro Bowler Daron Payne.
The Bills’ defense fell off a bit during the 2024 season. Once ranked in the top 10 in points and yards allowed, they fell out of that range. Nick Emmanwori is a good start to pick up the pieces at the position. He could have a chance to start over Taylor Rapp or Damar Hamlin.
Kareem Hunt is another year older, and Isiah Pacheco clearly lost his explosiveness after a horrific injury. With Pacheco under contract for just one more year, the Chiefs get the reigning national champ to man their backfield.
The Eagles always seem prepared to replace a player coming to the end of his deal, and they can add that assurance at tight end with Mason Taylor. Just as Dallas Goedert was taken to transition the mantle from Zach Ertz after the Eagles' last Super Bowl, Taylor can fill a similar role with Goedert set to be a free agent in 2026.
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