Florida center Olivier Rioux to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal

The Florida Gators Men’s Basketball team has had a run of current players announce their plans to return to the roster for next season. However, Florida center Olivier Rioux became the first name expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, and look for a new program according to On3 National Basketball Insider Joe Tipton.

Olivier Rioux spent two seasons in Gainesville

Olivier Rioux signed with Todd Golden and the Florida Gators in the 2024 recruiting class. Before arriving at UF, Rioux was the Guinness World Record holder for tallest teenager. According to Florida’s official team site, Rioux stood 6-foot-1 at age eight, 6-foot-11 by sixth grade and crossed the 7-foot mark the summer before entering seventh grade.

Rioux competed on UF’s scout team during his first season in Gainesville and redshirted. That season, the Gators won a National Championship. However, his minutes picked up a bit in his redshirt sophomore season. Rioux appeared in 11 games this past season, and ended the year with 16 minutes on the court. He made 3-6 field goals for a total of 7 points this past season, and made 1-2 of his free throws. Furthermore, Olivier Rioux added a total of six rebounds (3 offensive rebounds and 3 defensive rebounds).

Overall, year two was a season of firsts for the he 7-foot-9, 305-pound preferred walk-on. Olivier Rioux scored his first career points in a blowout victory over Merrimack on Nov. 21, 2025. That made him the tallest player in college basketball history to score in a game. A few weeks later, on Dec. 17, 2025, Olivier Rioux scored his first career basket in a blowout win over Saint Francis. In Florida’s largest NCAA Tournament win, in the first round against Prairie View A&M, Rioux became the tallest player to appear and score in a March Madness game.

The NCAA Transfer Portal will officially open on April 7 and close on April 21. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the men’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.

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