"Are we sure this isn't Barron?": Fans react as 7'9 Olivier Rioux meets President Trump in viral moment

Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux has grabbed headlines due to his listed 7-foot-9 height. Despite redshirting the 2024-2025 season during which coach Todd Golden's team won the national championship, Rioux has been a prominent face during the Gators' celebrations.

Rioux went viral in April when he did not need a ladder to cut down the nets when the Gators defeated the Houston Cougars in the championship game and on Wednesday, he went viral once again during Florida's visit to the White House. Rioux met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, who cracked jokes as they took a picture together.

"You're a beautiful-looking guy. To be that tall, that's great, come on over. Is he a good player?" Trump said.

"Getting there, getting there," Todd Golden replied.

"What a big advantage," Trump said.

College basketball fans on X had mixed reactions to the interaction between Olivier Rioux and the President.

"Are we sure that isn’t Baron?" one fan said.

Some fans compared Rioux to Barron Trump, the president's son who is 6-foot-9.

"Wow is he tall … I wonder how he compares to Barron?" a fan said.

"Where is Baron when you need him?" one fan said.

"Hilarious 😂," another fan said.

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Why Olivier Rioux redshirted last season

Olivier Rioux honed his craft at the IMG Academy, Florida and is a former three-star, walk-on prospect for the Florida Gators who was redshirted last year by coach Todd Golden. While speaking to reporters, Golden revealed why Rioux is not ready to play college basketball for the Gators just yet and why he might not be ready to be in Florida's rotation next year either.

“He’s (Rioux) doing great," Golden said. "I think his body has transformed just the way he moves, he’s way more athletic now than when he got here. We always thought of Ollie as a kind of a longer-term project so to speak. Not taking anything away from him just his natural trajectory and kind of his path but I’m very pleased with him, to be honest. He’s been incredibly coachable.

"He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do from a practice standpoint and I still feel good about his opportunity and his potential to become a good player. He obviously doesn't play for us this year. I think it's a challenge next year. But if he sticks with it down the road, I think he can become an impactful player."

Olivier Rioux made the news years ago when he was termed as the tallest teenager in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records and he has continued to command the attention of college basketball fans even before he has played a game for the Gators.