Story by
From France’s wine country to UCF, Aymeric Koumba eager to showcase his talents
- Story by
- From France’s wine country to UCF, Aymeric Koumba eager to showcase his talents
When people think of France, they typically gravitate toward the art, world-renowned cuisine, fabulous wine and rich history. Football — American football — is not one of the things people tend to envision.
France is home to UCF edge rusher Aymeric Koumba, specifically Bordeaux, which is smack dab in the middle of one of the best wine-making regions with award-winning vineyards. It's also where he first picked up a football and fell in love with the sport.
Advertisement
"I started playing football when I was 16 or 17," said Koumba, who is starting his second season with the Knights. "Football is not really big in France; it's mostly soccer and rugby. When I took part in my first practice, I just loved the sport. I fell in love."
Koumba eventually found himself at PPI Recruits, a company that works with international players to help them find opportunities in America.
"They take the best players in Europe, take them to a couple of camps here in America and eventually I got a couple of offers from there," Koumba said.
A three-star prospect by 247Sports, Koumba signed with Michigan in 2023, where he made his collegiate debut against East Carolina on Sept. 2, 2023. He redshirted his sophomore season with the Wolverines before entering the transfer portal in the offseason.
Advertisement
Koumba found a new home in Orlando at UCF in 2025, joining a unit anchored by a pair of future NFL prospects, Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly . He appeared in nine games, taking part in 55 snaps on the defensive line and on special teams.
"The changing conferences from the Big Ten to the Big 12 really opened my perspective on football and how it's being played, including the different schemes," said Koumba. "The Big Ten is run heavy and vertical, while the Big 12 is more horizontal, side-to-side screens."
Related Articles
The redshirt junior also picked up some tips and tricks from Lawrence and Kelly.
Advertisement
"They're good friends of mine and we used to work out together," Koumba said. "I got a couple moves from them, a couple of pass rush moves."
Lawrence was selected with the 23rd pick of the 2026 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys , while Kelly signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Their departures have left the edge spot wide open.
Returnees Sincere Edwards and Isaiah Nixon are considered the frontrunners to start, while transfers Bruno Dall and Ken Talley, along with Koumba, figure to provide the Knights with a solid rotation.
"I'm excited about a couple of guys that were here last year, between Isaiah, Sincere and Aymeric. Those guys have been around. They know my language, know my style and know the drills, which has been great," said Mike Dawson, who coaches the defensive ends.
Advertisement
Edwards, who appeared in just six games before suffering a season-ending injury, was the highest-graded edge rusher on the team behind Lawrence and Kelly at No. 27 among Big 12 edge rushers, according to Pro Football Focus, while Nixon was 29th.
UCF, meanwhile, looks to improve on a season in which the team finished eighth in the Big 12 in sacks (27) and ninth in tackles for loss (68). The defensive line, as a whole, was ninth in the league in rushing defense, holding teams to just over 150 yards per game.
Dawson has been impressed with Koumba's growth in the offseason and how it carried over into spring camp.
"He's matured a ton in just the year that he's been here, both mentally as far as football goes, understanding the game, understanding how defenses work, and then physically, he's getting stronger," Dawson said.
Advertisement
Koumba believes his patience will be rewarded.
"I can't wait to get on the field, especially for my family," Koumba said. "I'm getting better every day. As a room, we're getting better every day. The sky's the limit."
That family remains overseas and a six-hour time difference can make communication difficult.
"I try to communicate as much as I can with them, but obviously it's not the same time," said Koumba. "We're caught up on everything."
Still, it's hard not to be a little homesick, especially when it comes to food.
"I like a lot of African meals," said Koumba, whose father is from Gabon, a country in central Africa. "But even regular meals like pizza and pasta are going to be better back home."
Advertisement
While Koumba may be the first French player to wear the familiar black and gold of UCF, he's not the only international player on this roster and for that matter, in the defensive ends room.
Receiver Andrea Parisi (Italy), punter Atticus Bertrams (Australia), linebacker Arthur Kingdom (England), defensive tackle Thomas Collins (Sweden), edge rusher Alhassan Iddrissu (Ghana) and Dall (Germany) all have international roots.
"It's been great (having teammates from different countries), but the main thing is football," said Koumba.
And with the sport expanding its reach overseas, Koumba's sure not to be the last French player to play for the Knights.
Advertisement
"I'm definitely trying to promote American football," he said. "It's coming to France. The game is expanding as a whole and I think it's great for the game. There's a lot of talent overseas."
But which language does he prefer when trash-talking on the football field?
"Both," Koumba said with a laugh.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com . Sign up for the Sentinel's Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
