Courtesy: SEC Sports
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 10, 2026) – Korbe Otis of the Florida softball team and Eric Brown of the Gators’ men’s swimming and diving team have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship by the University of Florida.
The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes.
The Southeastern Conference will name the 2026 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship in late April.
Highlights of Florida’s nominees include:
ERIC BROWN, Florida, Swimming & Diving
Major: Computer Science Engineering
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- Two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American
- Three-time member of the SEC Winter Honor Roll
- CSC Academic All-District Team (2026)
- Earned program accolades of Florida Swimming & Diving Academic Award, recognizing student-athlete academic excellence
- Two-time All-American
- A four-time NCAA Championships qualifier
- Member of Florida’s 2023 and 2024 SEC Championship Teams
- All-SEC Freshman Team (2023)
KORBE OTIS, Florida, Softball
Major: Biology
- Graduated with bachelor’s degree in biology with Cum Laude honors and a 4.0 undergraduate GPA in May 2025
- Named the 2025 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year (first in program history)
- Named the 2025 NCAA Softball Elite 90 Winner (having the highest GPA at the Women’s College World Series (4.0), Florida’s fifth all-time honoree and first for softball)
- NFCA All-American First Team (2024) & CSC Academic All-American First Team (2024)
- Two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll
- Cardiovascular ICU intern at UF Health Shands during the summer of 2024
- Serves as a volunteer coach for the Santa Fe High School Softball Team
- Currently a Clinical Research Fellow at UF Health Shands in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
- Plays professional softball in the AUSL for the Blaze and was picked as a top player in the league to play in the All-Star cup where she was eighth overall in points
The SEC provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $20,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 30 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship.
The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 16 SEC institutions.
Last year’s McWhorter Award recipients were Mason Nichols of the Ole Miss baseball team and Abby McCulloh of the Georgia swimming and diving team.
