Olivier Rioux sticks his head out the front door of Florida’s practice facility — being 7-foot-9, he has to duck, of course — and shares a small story.
“Alberta reached out about doing a TikTok,” he says.
Confused looks follow.
“Alberta, the mascot,” he adds.
Ahh.
Rioux, the tallest teenager in the world, is one of Florida’s top players going into the NCAA Tournament, even though he hasn’t played yet. He’s already getting a lot of attention—photos, videos, autographs, and interviews. The requests come from all over the world.
The 19-year-old Rioux takes it all in stride, handling the attention as easily as he touches a 10-foot rim, without expecting anything in return. However, the Canadian, whose unusual height earned him a spot in the Guinness World Record, is now hoping to make money from the use of his name, image, and likeness in the U.S.
Rioux has officially applied for an O-1 visa, which is given to people with extraordinary skills or achievements in fields like science, art, education, business, or athletics.
This has happened before in the NCAA, which offers limited opportunities for international students to make money off their NIL while in college in the U.S. In 2022, former Northwestern State player and current Austin Peay guard Hansel Enmanuel, from the Dominican Republic, was granted the same type of visa.
Enmanuel lost his left arm in an accident when he was 6 years old. He’s known as one of the most inspiring college basketball players because he gives hope to kids facing physical challenges.
Enmanuel has 1.5 million followers on Instagram and 2.8 million on TikTok. He has sponsorships with Adidas, Gatorade, Oakley, T-Mobile, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s ZOA Energy drink, with a total value of about $1.5 million, according to ESPN.
Rioux’s popularity isn’t at that level yet, but it’s expected to grow, especially when he starts playing. He’s already a viral sensation. For example, when Florida won the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Sunday, while his teammates climbed a ladder to cut down the nets, Rioux simply stood flat-footed and could reach them.
“I feel a bit strange about it because you see a lot of deals happening worth millions of dollars, which I’m like, ‘Dang, that’s a lot of money,’” Rioux told The Associated Press. “I feel like we’ll be good.”
Olivier Rioux stands with the teammatesRioux has a few upcoming projects planned
At the launch party of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway’s foundation last week, it was announced that Rioux would join Lagway on a future “Gators at Sea Cruise.” A two-person suite on the cruise was sold for $3,000 during the charity auction.
Rioux doesn’t like boats or anything that might make him sick. He definitely doesn’t enjoy rollercoasters. On a recent trip to Alabama, the Gators had to fly through some bad weather, and Rioux didn’t like it. “It was iffy, and I did not like it,” he said.
But he’s willing to face a few days on the open sea and plans to make a video series about it — “Ollie’s Adventures” sounds like a fun idea.
He’s never been on a cruise, but he knows cabins are usually small and that doorways aren’t made for people who are 7 feet tall, let alone someone close to 8 feet.
“It’s going to be funny,” he said. “I don’t really know what I’m going to do.”
One thing he does know: after March Madness, he has a tryout with the Canadian national team. He’s excited to see how he performs after spending more than four months working on his strength and quickness. His playing time has been limited, though.
Florida coach Todd Golden gave Rioux the option to either play a few minutes in blowout games as a non-scholarship player or redshirt and save a year of eligibility. Rioux chose to redshirt.
“It’s been a process,” Rioux said. “I feel good about it. I feel like I’ve been doing a tremendous job in terms of lifting. Obviously, practicing is a bit different. You’re not playing as much as you want to, but you still got to show up and practice as much as they want me to.”
Golden added, “He’s way more athletic now than when he got here, and we always thought of Ollie as kind of a longer-term project so to speak. … He’s been incredibly coachable. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do from a practice standpoint. I still feel good about his opportunity and his potential to become a good player.”
Right now, though, Rioux is more of a side attraction. Fans line up to meet him after games, and he’s always ready to take pictures or sign autographs. The NCAA Tournament — where Florida’s first game is Friday against Norfolk State in Raleigh, North Carolina — will give him a chance to reach new fans and possibly set up future opportunities to make money.
It could even involve dancing with mascots.
“I’m ready for it,” he said.
