There is only one FReeper of whom you can rely on the answer. Pinging Travis McGee.
It’s rare - usually the NAV wants the officers to have a warfare specialty already (air or sea or CB) if they don’t make it through training ... my $.02 ...
My wife is a US Naval Academy Information Officer (aka Blue and Gold Officer) - and these are the statistics:
The numbers vary from year to year, but on average, about 15 members of a USNA graduating class are selected for Navy SEALs and go directly to BUDS. About another dozen will do other special ops (including EOD).
We have one friend whose son (also USNA graduate) initially selected SWO and transferred into SEALs from the Fleet.
Last I heard, it was extremely competetive to get a slot from Annapolis to BUD/S Training. (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training.) Maybe a handful of slots for a few dozen who would like to go. I think he might have a better shot from an NROTC program, which is how I went, way back in 1979.
I don’t know about today, but close friend of mine did in 1987.
Way back in ‘65 a call went out for volunteers for Second Class Diving School (Salvage Divers). I signed up along with four others. Three of us went TAD to Diving School and we returned to our ship and worked out of the Diving Locker.
Most of our work was hull inspections but we also had a couple of propellor changes and also replacing 26 zinc plates on Destroyers. Loved the work.
Totally different type of work than BUDS, EOD and SEALS but we had the greatest respect for the UDTs and SEALS.
As a career Marine and then Army special operator I would tell him “Rum Sodomy and the Lash are the only true naval traditions” LOL! Good luck to him and tell him whatever he does when he is in BUDS he should keep reminding himself that quitters end up as boatswain’s mates. Scraping and painting isn’t really very glamorous.