Gators 2023 International Target Rueben Chinyelu Sets Official Visit

Photo: Todd Golden; Credit: Zach Goodall

Gators head coach Todd Golden earned a name for himself through the acquisition of international players during his time at San Francisco.

As he takes over at the helm at Florida, Golden is poised to continue dipping into the plentiful well that brought him great success at his last stop.

NBA Academy Africa center prospect Rueben Chinyelu is the next piece to that puzzle as he set to take an official visit to the University of Florida from Sept. 15-17, as first by 247Sports’ Travis Branham and Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner on Thursday.

Branham calls Chinyelu a “powerful athlete with explosiveness and plays with a high motor and tremendous energy” in the frontcourt.

Accompanying those skills with impeccable length for his 6-foot-11 frame — with a 7-foot-8 wing span and a 9-foot-4 standing reach — Chinyelu is widely considered one of the best bigs in the class of 2023. Plus, he’s exactly what Florida needs moving forward.

He’s earned glowing comparisons to reigning national player of the year in college basketball Oscar Tshiebwe, who averaged a double-double a season ago, as a result.

Branham even said Chinyelu is more developed than the Kentucky bit man was at this stage in his career. That’s high praise when considering there forceful impact Tshiebwe had in the court in 2021-22.

Chinyelu will get a rare face-to-face opportunity with the Florida staff, considering the distance between the two, and learn what the program provides.

Golden also brought in German stretch forward Aleksander Szymczyk as a late addition to the 2022 class to bolster a rather thin frontcourt. He recently enrolled alongside Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) product Riley Kugel in mid-August.

Chinyelu could be the next international player to head to Gainesville under Golden as a high-caliber player with superstar potential at the center spot.

He'd give the Gators a potential program-altering piece to build around starting in the 2023-24 season, making what will likely be his only trip to UF before making his decision crucial to capitalize upon.

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