Florida State has added guards Martay Barnes and JD Jones to the 2026 signing class, head coach Luke Loucks announced Wednesday. Barnes reclassified to accelerate his transition to college basketball, while Jones is a Phoenix native who also signed.
Barnes is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound point guard who is a consensus four-star prospect. The Palm Bay (Florida) native led Academy of Central Florida to the 2026 SIAA state championship and is viewed as the No. 7 prospect in Florida in the 2026 class.
“Martay Barnes is an explosive, play-making guard,” Loucks said. “We’ve been incredibly impressed with his game – his speed, his skill, his ability to attack, and the energy he brings on both ends of the floor. He puts constant pressure on the defense and has a natural instinct to make the right play. The fact that he’s reclassifying to join us early says a lot about his work ethic and commitment to his development. We’re excited to get him to Tallahassee and start working with him right away.”
Jones scored 1,762 points, the second-highest total in school history, at Phoenix Country Day School. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound Jones helped his school to a 25-2 record.
“JD Jones is exactly the type of young man we want in our program,” Loucks said. “He’s a high-character individual who brings toughness, consistency, and a team-first mindset every single day. What stands out most is how he impacts the culture – he competes, he leads by example, and he elevates the people around him. We’re excited about what he brings both on and off the court."
FSU's class now includes Marcis Ponder, Collin Paul, Brandon Bass Jr. and Jasen Lopez, all of whom signed in November, as well as Barnes and Jones. Lopez enrolled early in January, practicing with the basketball team, but he did not play.
The class is ranked No. 9 in the nation by 247Sports' Composite Team rankings and second in the ACC.
FSU has also retained forward Thomas Bassong from the 2024-25 team and received a commitment from Cincinnati transfer Shon Abaev, who is a Fort Lauderdale native.
