Before he ever stepped on a college floor, Olivier Rioux was already a viral phenomenon.
A Guinness World Record holder as the world’s tallest teenager and a towering 7-foot-9 prospect out of IMG Academy, he drew global attention as one of the most unique basketball projects the sport has ever seen.
So when he committed to the Florida Gators in 2023, the hype only intensified. Could a player of that size actually become impactful at the highest level of college basketball?
So far, the answer has been no.
After redshirting his first year, Rioux appeared in just 11 games during the 2025–26 season, logging a total of 16 minutes and scoring just seven points along with six rebounds.
That lack of playing time ultimately pushed Rioux into the transfer portal, and now, he’s made a decision that has the entire college basketball world talking.
On Thursday, April 30, Rioux officially transferred to UC Irvine, announcing the move on social media.
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Rioux leaves behind a powerhouse Florida program that won a national title in 2025 and remained among the elite in 2026 to join a UC Irvine team that last reached the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and has only made the Big Dance twice ever.
Unsurprisingly, the internet had a field day with that.
“UC Irvine students finding out they have a basketball team today,” one user joked.
“He’ll have fun in the post against the 6’4 the Big West has to offer,” another added.
“Bro went from getting hype as the tallest walk-on in SEC history to transferring to a school where the mascot is an Anteater. Couldn’t crack meaningful minutes at Florida, so now he’s dominating the Big West retirement league. Next stop: Guinness World Records for most portal entries by a human skyscraper,” another wrote.
“Getting ready for the 76 bracket I see, well played,” said one other fan, referencing the NCAA’s planned tournament expansion.
“Of all the UCs, Irvine is …. a choice…,” another commented.
“Didn’t even know they had a basketball team,” another replied.
“Bro went after the bag and ended up at a mid-major,” one other fan wrote.
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At first glance, the move feels out of left field. It’s Florida to UC Irvine. SEC to Big West. National spotlight to relative obscurity.
But dig deeper, and it starts to make sense.
Head coach Russell Turner has a track record with giants, most notably developing 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye into a dominant defensive force and NBA prospect.
UC Irvine also just won the Big West regular-season title and remains a consistently competitive mid-major program.
Even with all of that, however, this move bucks the trend.
Players almost always transfer up or laterally within power conferences. Rioux is doing the opposite, leaving a championship-caliber program for a mid-major.
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