Florida’s 7-Foot-9 Giant Olivier Rioux Makes Head-Turning Transfer Move
Olivier Rioux, the 7-foot-9 basketball prospect and former Guinness World Record holder, transferred from the Florida Gators to UC Irvine after limited playing time during the 2025–26 season. Despite leaving a powerhouse SEC program for a mid-major team in the Big West Conference, the move aligns with UC Irvine's history of developing exceptionally tall players. Rioux's transfer has drawn widespread attention and mixed reactions across social media.
- ▪Olivier Rioux is the world’s tallest teenager and stands at 7-foot-9, making him a viral sensation before playing college basketball.
- ▪He played only 16 minutes and scored seven points in 11 games during the 2025–26 season at Florida, leading to his entry into the transfer portal.
- ▪Rioux transferred to UC Irvine, a Big West program with a track record of developing tall players, despite the school's lower national profile.
- ▪UC Irvine won the Big West regular-season title and previously developed 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye into an NBA prospect.
- ▪The transfer surprised many, as athletes typically move to higher-profile programs rather than from an SEC powerhouse to a mid-major conference.
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By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Before he ever stepped on a college floor, Olivier Rioux was already a viral phenomenon.A Guinness World Record holder as the world’s tallest teenager and a towering 7-foot-9 prospect out of IMG Academy, he drew global attention as one of the most unique basketball projects the sport has ever seen.So when he committed to the Florida Gators in 2023, the hype only intensified.
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