Who is Olivier Rioux, the tallest college basketball player? 7’9” Florida star goes viral with muscular fan

A viral courtside moment featuring 7-foot-9 Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux has once again put the spotlight on the tallest player in college basketball history. During Florida’s dominant 114-55 win over Prairie View A&M in the first round of the 2026 NCAA tournament, Rioux was photographed alongside a notably muscular Gators fan. The image went viral in no time, with fans struck by the surreal contrast between Rioux’s towering frame and the fan’s physique.

Who is Olivier Rioux, the tallest college basketball player

At 7 feet 9 inches, Rioux is officially the tallest player to ever appear in an NCAA game. The redshirt freshman reached another milestone when he checked in late during Florida’s win over Prairie View A&M and capped it with a put-back dunk. His height has been a defining trait from an early age. Raised in Terrebonne, Quebec, near Montreal, Rioux was already 6-foot-1 at just eight years old and crossed the 7-foot mark before entering seventh grade.


Rioux comes from a notably tall family. His father stands at 6 feet 8 inches, his mother, a former volleyball player, is 6 feet 1 inch, and his older brother, also a basketball player, is 6 feet 9 inches, as per Yahoo Sports. Still, the scale of Rioux’s growth remains something of a mystery. As he noted in his Guinness World Records profile, his family is “still not 100% sure why I’m so tall.”

At age 16, Rioux measured 7 feet 5 inches, earning recognition as the world’s tallest teenager.

Olivier Rioux's milestones stacking up on and off the court

Before his NCAA tournament appearance, Rioux had already set multiple records this season, becoming the tallest player to play in a college game, score a basket, and make a field goal. Across limited action, he has logged 5 points and four rebounds in 10 appearances, but his impact extends far beyond the stat sheet.

Even among elite athletes, Rioux’s size is striking. He stands significantly taller than teammates, including 7-foot-1 senior Micah Handlogten, and visibly towers over opponents, often by more than a foot.