World's tallest teen looks to grow NIL earnings

GAINESVILLE, Florida — Olivier Rioux pokes his head out the front door of Florida's practice facility — the 7-foot-9 (2.36 m) center has to duck, of course — and delivers a tidbit.

"Alberta reached out about doing a TikTok," he says.

Blank stares.

"Alberta, the mascot," he adds.

Ahh.

Rioux, the world's tallest teenager, is one of top-seeded Florida's most popular players heading into the NCAA Tournament — even though he has yet to take the court. Photos. Videos. Autographs. Interviews. The attention is immense. The requests are global.

The 19-year-old Rioux handles them all as effortlessly as he touches a 10-foot rim, and without anything in return. But, the Canadian, whose unusual height landed him a Guinness World Record, is hoping to start earning money from use of his name, image and likeness (NIL) in the United States.

Rioux has formally applied for an 0-1 visa, which is reserved for individuals with extraordinary abilities or achievements in the fields of science, art, education, business or athletics.

There's precedent for it in the NCAA, which provides limited opportunities for international students to capitalize on NIL while attending college in the US. Former Northwestern State and current Austin Peay guard Hansel Enmanuel of the Dominican Republic was granted that type of visa in 2022.

Enmanuel's left arm was amputated just below the shoulder after an accident when he was 6; he is considered one of the most inspirational college basketball players, because he helps countless kids dealing with physical limitations find hope.

Enmanuel has 1.5 million followers on Instagram, 2.8 million on TikTok and has security at road games. He has lucrative NIL deals with Adidas, Gatorade, Oakley, T-Mobile and Dwayne "The Rock "Johnson's ZOA Energy drink that total roughly $1.5 million, according to ESPN.

Rioux's popularity is nowhere near that level right now, but it's expected to grow, especially when he starts playing. He's already a walking viral video; while coaches and teammates climbed a ladder to cut pieces of the nets after Florida won the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Sunday, Rioux was able to do it while standing flat-footed.

"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 reporters. "I feel like we'll be good."

Rioux has a few future endeavors already in the works.

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 sold for $3,000 during Lagway's charity auction.

Rioux doesn't enjoy boats, or anything else that can cause motion sickness. Roller coasters are definitely out. And, on a recent trip to Alabama, the Gators had to fly through storm-related turbulence. "It was iffy, and I did not like it," Rioux said.

But, he's going to suck it up for a few days on the open seas and plans to shoot a video series about it — "Ollie's Adventures" has a nice ring.

He's never been on a cruise, but he knows cabins usually don't have much space, and the doorways aren't designed for seven-footers — let alone someone closer to eight feet tall.

"It's going to be funny," he said. "I don't really know what I'm going to do."

He does know this: A tryout with the Canadian national team awaits him following March Madness. He's excited to see how he performs after four-plus months focused on getting strong and improving his quickness. His on-court work, though, has been limited.

Florida coach Todd Golden gave Rioux the choice of playing garbage-time minutes as a non-scholarship player this season, or red-shirting and saving a year of eligibility. Rioux chose the latter.

"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 I've 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 is 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."

For now, though, he's a sizable side attraction. Fans line up to meet him after games, and he's always willing to pose for pictures or sign autographs. And the NCAA Tournament — the Gators open Friday against Norfolk State in Raleigh, North Carolina — will offer him a chance to reach new audiences and potentially line up future paydays.

It might even include dancing with mascots.

"I'm ready for it," he said.

Agencies Via Xinhua