Wolverines Add Fope to Signing Class of 2026
11/19/2025 10:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women's Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the signing of Fope Ayo to a scholarship agreement on Wednesday (Nov. 19). Ayo is a four-star recruit and ranked No. 45 in the class of 2026 by ESPN. She joins Devin Cosgriff in Michigan's signing class.
"I genuinely feel very fortunate and blessed in this changing landscape of college athletics, to have two of the greatest young women join our program in Fope and Devin," Barnes Arico said about her 2026 class. "Fope is someone who is going to excel in every facet of what this university has to offer, whether that's academics, whether that's on the basketball court, or whether that's in our community. She has shown her ability to do that at Austin Prep, and I think she is going to make the same type of impact at the University of Michigan."
"I chose the University of Michigan because of the team culture," Ayo said. "The academics at the university are amazing and so is the basketball; but the culture I experienced on my visit was a huge reason I picked Michigan. I am super excited to be part of this program."
"Fope is different than anyone we have," Barnes Arico said. "She's 6-5 and has tremendous length. She's going to be a great complement to the other pieces that we have in our program and the dynamic guard play that we have. She can protect the paint. She can affect the game on both sides of the ball, and her inside presence is just something that we haven't had in a minute. Besides all that, she's an unbelievable human, just the greatest person, the greatest family and someone who is really going to excel at this university.
I want to thank her AAU program and her AAU coach, who long ago told me that Fope would be a perfect fit inside this Michigan program, and we are thrilled to welcome her here."
Ranked No. 45 by ESPN as a 6-5 center, Ayo was the defensive player of the year in Class AA last season in Massachusetts while playing for Austin Prep Academy. In addition to her four-star ranking from ESPN, she is also a four-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports. She was named one of the Boston Globe's Players of the Week on Feb. 11 after pouring in 40 points in an Austin Prep win over MacDuffie.
Ayo played AAU with Lady Rivals3SSB.
