World's Tallest Teenager Set to Make College Basketball History

At 7 feet, 9 inches, Florida Gators freshman Olivier Rioux will become the tallest player in college basketball history

AP Photo/John Raoux

By the time he turned 8 years old, Olivier Rioux was already towering over his classmates. Then, in sixth grade, he was 6 feet, 11 inches. When he reached a height of 7 feet, 5 inches at the age of 15, the Guinness World Records named him the tallest teenager on the planet.And now, the 18-years-old who stands at an unthinkable 7 feet, 9 inches is hoping to grow his skills on the basketball court and kickstart a potential NBA career.

After joining the Florida Gators as a "walk-on of choice," the Quebecois teenager is set to make history when he takes the court this season, becoming "the tallest player in college basketball," the team said in a preseason press release.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“He’s more than just a 7-9 guy,” Gators head coach Todd Golden told the Associated Press on Tuesday, Oct. 29, ahead of Rioux's debut, which could happen on Monday, Nov. 4 during the team's face-off against the South Florida Bulls. “He’s had some really good moments in practice, super coachable and I’m excited for him to get to this point next year and kind of see where we’re at.”

While the Gators coach suggested that Rioux won’t play much in his freshman season, the AP noted that when Rioux does get the chance to play, he'll officially overshadow former UNC Asheville player Kenny George by two inches.

In the meantime, being so tall has already garnered him attention around both on and off the court. “You don’t have a single three seconds to yourself when you’re outside, which I was fine with because my brother and my dad are tall. And, as a family, we used to go out. That’s just how it was, and you can’t change that because people are curious,” Rioux told the AP about people asking him questions about his height.

When it comes to his towering stature, he told Guinness in 2022, “We’re still not 100% sure why I’m so tall — after investigation, doctors could only explain it with the genetics that my family has.” He added, “My father is 6’8, my mom is 6’2 and my older brother is 6’9. So we’re a pretty tall family.”

AP Photo/John Raoux

While Rioux told Guinness he loves “being the height I am,” the public attention can become as bothersome as one might think. In Florida’s media guide for the upcoming season, the player said if he could have a superpower, he’d choose “invisibility.”

Despite that, Rioux put his height to good use in sports, revealing to Guinness that "most of the time you can find me on the basketball court." Noting that he's been playing since he was a kid, Rioux said, “The opposing team would often question my age, because even as a 5-year-old I was much taller than the other kids.”

By age 12, he began playing internationally for the French Phenoms, according to the Globe and Mail, and drew attention from NBA stars like Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Jamal Murray, who even once asked Rioux for a selfie – not the other way around.

According to the Gators, Rioux most recently played at IMG Academy in Florida and has been with Canada’s under-18 international squad since 2021, helping Team Canada win a bronze medal at both the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship and again at the 2023 Under-18 FIBA AmeriCup Championship.