Who is Florida Gators’ 7-Foot-9 Freshman Center Olivier Rioux?

The Florida Gators freshman center is making waves in the basketball scene with his remarkable frame.

IMG Blue's Olivier Rioux, tallest teenager and high school basketball player in the world, watches as his team warms up for their game against Keystone in the Governors Challenge at Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland. Bkh Img Academy Blue Keystone Athletic Academy Governors Challenge / Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's not quite basketball season yet, but history is set to be made at the return of college basketball.

The Florida Gators are bringing in a freshman center with remarkable height, with his 7-foot-9 frame marking the tallest player in college basketball history.

Meet Olivier Rioux.

The Gators added three players to their 2024 recruiting class, but none are more interesting than the 3-star center. Standing at 7-foot-9, Rioux could be a solid contributor for Florida next season, and he'll be an interesting prospect to keep an eye on with the 2025 NBA Draft cycle here.

Rioux is originally from Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada, though he played high school basketball at IMG Academy in Florida. With his official height being 6-foot-9, Rioux weighed in at 290 pounds, making him an absolute force in the paint.

The 18-year-old Florida center is the No. 309 player in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports. His impact with the Gators could be huge, though, given his size and the force he will bring in the paint.

Zach Edey absolutely dominated for four seasons at Purdue because of his size, though he had some skill to complement such. Rioux will have time to develop during his time in Gainesville, which would significantly boost his draft stock.

Olivier Rioux is listed on the Florida Gators website at 7-foot-9 and 290 pounds. This makes him the tallest college athlete of all-time pic.twitter.com/uit6jwZcA3

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) June 20, 2024

The 18-year-old has shown growth in height in recent years, so he might not be quite done growing. However, being 7-foot-9 will bring a tremendous advantage at the college football level. He won't even turn 19-years-old until the spring semester, leaving plenty of progressions to come his way.

The Gators center has spent time representing Canada in FIBA play, and he, along with Florida, tip off their season on Nov. 4 against South Florida.

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