Florida basketball recruiting: 7-foot-6 center Olivier Rioux joins Gators’ Class of 2024

Basketball

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Image Credit: Olivier Rioux

Florida Gators basketball added a Guinness World Record holder to its Class of 2024 on Wednesday night. Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-6 center from Canada, announced via his Instagram that he has committed to join Florida next season.

Rioux, who is listed at 300 pounds, has played high school basketball at IMG Academy since 2021. He is currently unranked as a prospect, though most expect him to eventually be listed as a three-star player.

It is not yet known whether Rioux will receive a scholarship or be a preferred walk-on for the Gators, though he did reclassify up one year as he was originally scheduled to be in the Class of 2025.

The Guinness record that Rioux holds is for world’s tallest teenager, which he achieved when he was measured 7-foot at age 13. His recruitment has been slow with seemingly few power conference offers, but it is believed that interest is going to pick up on him ahead of next season.

Though he has drawn comparisons to Purdue’s Zach Edey, those are mostly based on their shared size, nationality and IMG Academy enrollment. Rioux does not appear to have the same level of skill or athleticism as Edey. Obviously, Rioux has a long way to go in his development, but if he were to form a more complete game, that could make this a coup for head coach Todd Golden.

Sophomore center Micah Handlogten at 7-foot-1, 235 pounds is presently a member of the Gators and believed to be the tallest player in team history. Golden also has 6-foot-11 freshman Alex Condon, 6-foot-10 sophomore Aleks Szymczyk and 6-foot-10 redshirt senior Tyrese Samuel on the roster this season.

Should Rioux ultimately enroll at Florida, it would almost assuredly have one of the tallest rosters in college basketball next season.