Previously: Last year’s profiles, K Adam Samaha, K James Turner (Tr), S Brandyn Hillman, CB DJ Waller, CB Cameron Calhoun, CB Jyaire Hill, HSP/LB Jason Hewlett, LB Hayden Moore, LB Semaj Bridgeman, LB Ernest Hausmann (Tr), OLB Breeon Ishmail.

If you thought Michigan's Northeast recruiting taught you how to pick out the subtle flavors of talent in a wash of prep schoolers, watch that highlight reel above to see football literally in the wilderness.

The back half of Koumba's highlight reel shows two views of him lining up as a tight end, catching a deep post in the middle of an incoherent coverage, then dancing around his opponents and teammates until there are none left.

[[After the jump: The man from France, FRAN]

To call him the #1 player in his country is both an understatement and useless. Usually international players will emigrate to the U.S. late in high school to a Choate or Rabun Gap-Nacoochee and at least give us a state ranking before we get to the "raw athlete" who's "still learning the game" part of the profile, but Koumba only got as far as Pionniers de Touraine, which is a gridiron football club, not a high school (academic-athletic affiliations are a mostly North American thing). To avoid *real* football, the gridiron season is stretched over December-July, All of the published highlights from France are from PdT's 2021-'22 season, which concluded last summer. His Hudl page switched back to his home team in metro-Bordeaux in December but Koumba was in Ann Arbor by the time their season started.

All we have to go on then are Brandon Collier quotes and camp clips. Collier is the guy behind PPI, which organization rounds up European talent and tours them across the United States every summer. Previous athletes include David Ojabo, Julius Welschof, Marlin Klein, and 2024 commit Manuel Biegel. Koumba was on the 2021 tour, but didn't get noticed until he returned in June 2022, by his own admissions a much better player. Their first stop earned seven offers and full pursuit from Vanderbilt's Barton Simmons, the former director of scouting for 247. Collier had also tipped off Mike Elston, whose relationship with PPI goes back to Notre Dame. Elston saw the first camp, then met up with the tour in Texas to get to know the player and deliver an offer. Koumba waited until after the tour went through Columbus, committing at Michigan's camp a few days later. He was slated to enroll in December but last we heard he will join the football squad this fall.

Where Did This Guy Come From?

Collier also declared nobody in the class has a higher ceiling, and that if Koumba played in Detroit or Georgia he'd be a borderline 5-star because of his size, length, and big hands.

He may be embellishing a little; Koumba told Eleven Warriors he moved over to American football from rugby five years ago, and told EJ Holland it was shortly after his 14th birthday. That's still a big difference from some Euro prospects who arrive barely aware of the rules, and 11W said he looks the part of a Power 5 defensive end physically. Sam Webb made the obvious Ojabo comparison, except Ojabo actually got to play some American ball before college.

Athletic and raw, Aymeric Koumba will need time to learn the game. He is lean and long and will need to work to develop physically and technically. He’ll also need to adjust to going against players at or above his abilities, every day.

Lucas Reimink's areas for improvement all hilariously mean "needs to play more football."

Weaknesses

• Experience Against Good Competition
• Technique
• Feel for Position

Brandon Justice specified some of the technique issues to work on.

He has a decent albeit inconsistent first step and uses his hands well, but still, there's a ton of work to do. Though I think he showcases everything needed to project as an explosive and bendy edge defender, he shows little if any bend on his tape because he's rarely in a position where he needs to. He's almost always pursuing straight up, using the hands and speed to get past the blocker. …

As far as his tackling ability, he needs to finish and flatten. His motor is excellent, and he's always looking to make a play. But he needs to fine-tune how he finishes plays.

Touch the Banner also criticized Koumba's unrefined approach.

he takes false steps coming out of his stance, sometimes loses momentum from being indecisive, and seems to slow up instead of going for kill shots. In general, he’s got a lot to learn. .. If you asked what year Koumba was on film, I would probably guess he was a high school sophomore. … if he’s patient and buys into the coaching and S&C program, he could be very good.

…and gave him a slightly over meh 73 rating. There wasn't much more to get—as soon as the PPI tour was over Koumba was back in France winning the French national title. Koumba moved back home to finish high school but as far as I know he didn't play his senior spring season.

Brian called Koumba "a lottery ticket with a lot of upside but absolutely no floor at all—it goes right into the basement," and Steve Lorenz was practically daring me to make him Sleeper of the Class.

Another guy that Mike Elston saw live and pretty much offered on the spot you know and I think he's I'd say he's just a slightly more refined [than Welschof was]. I think they feel like he's a little bit more polished. … My personal thought is I think Koumba's going to be a popular sleeper pick for a lot of people … but again definitely not a year one guy.

Limber Like Cuisses de Grenouille

Brian then suggested Koumba's going to replace Welschof as the guy who ends up 42nd on Bruce Feldman freaks list this year and Steve was like "No, but really."

I mean you could very well be right though; that athleticism and that frame are what drew Michigan to him in the first place.

After Signing Day Collier started tweeting out what I take to be incredible measurements.

Sometimes the wingspan was cited as 7'2". Sam Webb made the obvious connection to our favorite Scot while cautioning against it:

The comparisons to David Ojabo are natural. Both Koumba and Ojabo are going to be measured walking through the door to have had strikingly similar measurables at above 6’4”, 230-235 pounds. Additionally, both players have been timed in the 4.7 range in the 40.

247's Cooper Betagna took a scouting mission to Europe to see the "long and silky edge prospect" and others, but only got to see a combine.

quickly displayed why he’s bound to play at the highest level on Saturdays for years to come. Recording a 10-foot plus broad jump and multiple sub 4.20 short shuttles, Koumba’s athletic presence is impressive. Whether it’s in the United States or in Europe, finding pass rushers with Koumba’s size and athleticism is a difficult task. Like many of his peers, Koumba will need to refine and add polish the technical aspects of his game, but the physical and athletic upside are hard to ignore when projecting to the next level.

Betagna also reported Koumba was up to 245 pounds. Various sites and articles had him anywhere from 220 to 240 during the summer tour; Koumba explained to 11W that he'd lost 10 pounds (238 to 228) over the course of the week. He also said he wants to be 250-260 in college.

Slippery Like Oursins

Here's what they mean:

The moves Koumba has shown so far have been effective, not just against French competition but in camp settings. TTB was pleasantly surprised to find a few tools well on their way.

what I expected to see from him is a near inability to use his hands, and he’s actually pretty good with his swipe move. Sometimes he uses a one-handed move but doesn’t incorporate his opposite hand to really create separation between himself and the blocker, but I think that can be improved with reps. He has good closing speed, change of direction, and bend.

Here's that one-arm:

Reimink praised Koumba's "very good burst, relentless pursuit, and good speed."

He immediately threatens OT’s with his get-off, and often with the competition he’s facing, that’s usually all he needs to get right by them. He has good flexibility to be able to bend the corner and get around an OT when using a speed rush. He also has good, long arms to create leverage for himself when he wants to do a speed-power move. … Currently, his only real pass-rush move is a pure speed rush, but he also flashes some counter moves to go underneath an OT when they over-adjust to his speed rush, and a solid speed-power rush as well.

Here's that very good burst and speed:

Reimink also called Koumba a work in progress in the run game, with little gap discipline and again, not much hand use before acquiescing to an Ojabo (and Derrick Moore) comp. The French Fut-US site Blue Pennant reported that Mark Elston "régulièrement comparé au nigérian David Ojabo," which I don't think you need translated.

Why David Ojabo? International prospect with the same measurements and raw upside as a pass-rusher who needs a lot of development…and it's not like I'm not exactly the first to say so.

Sam Webb, Brandon Collier, Lukas Reimink, The Blue Pennant, even Koumba himself was telling reporters he's coming to Michigan because he's shaped like Ojabo and wants to be shaped like Ojabo. Brandon Justice made a chart.

Far be it from me to disagree.

Guru Reliability: Low: "France, FRAN." I guess they're all saying the same thing, but that thing is "¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Ojabo?"

Variance: Vast. Could be a 1st rounder in 3 years, could never play a down.

Ceiling: Vast. The NFL is going to go crazy for those measurables if the technique gets there.

Flight Risk Level: Low. Was recruited by/committed to Mike Elston, has a long development road. Only concern other than the obvious non-progression one is that he was reportedly enrolling early and then wasn't here in spring. Hopefully they got whatever it is sorted out.

General Excitement Level: High. Baseline 5; -1 for raw; -1 even more raw than that; +1 for he projects to a specific role that is largely about size and talent; +1 for 7'2" wingspan is huge actually; +1 for you can see the elite bend and quickness already; +1 for all the rest of his measurements are Ojabo; +1 for and you remember Ojabo.

Projection:

We'll start with the easiest parts to project:

• Bolded alter-ego Maurice Chevalier.
• If this works out even a little bit Marc-Grégor will never let us hear the end of it.

But first, we're looking at the most obvious redshirt in the most obviously redshirting class since the first time we hired a guy named Schembechler. Just about everyone agrees Koumba will need a couple of years to work with Elston on his technique before there's any hope of making a regular downs impact.

He might, however, make his way onto the field for passing downs sooner than you think. That projection is as much about the roster as Koumba's evident talent. Josiah Stewart is currently the only weakside edge who's shown he can get to the quarterback consistently on the FBS level. While the Heavy position is set for years with McGregor/D.Moore/Bennett/Etta, I came in less enthused than I hoped I would about Breeon Ishmail, and the other guys on that edge are also linebacker-leaning OLBs like Harrell, TJ Guy (thus far), and Tyler McLaurin.

Given that, and how much a natural edge-bender can do for your passing downs defense, developing Koumba is going to be a top program priority. Just get him operational enough to be what Okie was last year, and that's a guy who's getting on the field some in 2024. A breakout and starting role probably aren't in the cards until mid-2025, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's got a leave-for-the-NFL-or-leave-with-a-legacy decision to make once he gets there. There are a couple of receivers who might change my mind in a bit, but right now I might be leaning on taking up Lorenz on his offer.