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