The Tallest Player in College Basketball Is Leaving Florida, and the Portal Just Got a Lot More Interesting
Olivier Rioux, Florida's jaw-dropping 7-foot-9 center and the tallest player to ever score in a college basketball game, announced Tuesday he is entering the transfer portal. His agent, Peter Yannopoulos, confirmed the move to ESPN, saying Rioux is "excited and ready for the next steps in his journey."
This is a massive deal. Every time Rioux checked into a game for the Gators this season, the crowd went absolutely nuts. When he threw down a dunk in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Prairie View A&M, the entire Florida bench lost it. Those moments were electric, pure viral gold, the kind of thing that makes college basketball so fun to watch.
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Here is the brutal reality: Rioux only scored seven points combined this season. He found himself stuck behind one of the best frontcourts in America, and there simply was not enough playing time to go around. Florida head coach Todd Golden acknowledged the tough spot earlier this season, telling ESPN he believed Rioux had "some really good basketball ahead of him, whether it's here at Florida or somewhere else." Golden knew the kid had game but also knew the roster was too loaded for him to develop.
Rioux redshirted as a true freshman during Florida's national championship run in 2025, an experience he called a "dream come true." But that championship core stuck around, and suddenly the opportunity to play dried up fast.
The Portal's Most Viral Prospect
Here is what makes this wild: Rioux is not just a basketball player, he is a celebrity on campus. He gets hounded for pictures everywhere he goes. Fans have spotted him on a bike that is literally taller than he is when standing upright. Wherever he lands next, he will bring that same viral energy, that same magnetism.
Every program that gets a chance to recruit him gets a generational talent and a guy who will fill arenas with curiosity and excitement. That is a once in a lifetime physical specimen looking for a fresh start.
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