Florida freshman Olivier Rioux to enter transfer portal
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Florida basketball just became a little shorter. The Gators are set to lose center Olivier Rioux to the transfer portal following his lone season in Gainesville.
Rioux, who stands at 7-9, 305 pounds, played sparingly for Todd Golden’s squad in 2026. The Terrebonne, Quebec native appeared in 11 games for Florida, never seeing more than 2 minutes on the court. In total, he saw just 15 minutes of action for the Gators his freshman season.
Now, he’s set to head elsewhere for 2027. Rioux posted his intention to enter the portal (which opens on April 7) on social media Tuesday morning:
Rioux is fairly well known across the college basketball world, not necessarily for his skill but his record-breaking size. At 7-9, Rioux is the tallest player in NCAA history, displacing George Bell at the top.
A lot of folks are mentioning Purdue as a potential transfer destination because of his size and the Boilermakers’ ability to attract 7-footers, but this would be a surprising move to say the least. Rioux played 15 minutes for a reason, and he’s just not ready physically to play in the SEC or Big Ten. On the surface, it appears likely that Rioux transfers down a level, then returns to a power program in coming years.
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Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
