South Carolina basketball offers potential five-star prospect, younger brother of former Gamecock Rocket Sanders
On Sunday, South Carolina basketball officially extended an offer to class of 2027 prospect Martay Barnes. A potential future five-star in the ’27 cycle, Barnes is a 6-2 combo guard from Melbourne, Florida. He also is the younger brother of former Gamecock running back, Rocket Sanders. The official recruiting contact window for the class opened up at midnight, and the Gamecocks didn’t waste much time. Barnes announced his USC offer on social media before lunchtime on Sunday.
A thin but explosive backcourt player, Barnes is a well-rounded player. He can score, is a solid distributor (especially as a drive-and-kick player), and is a capable defender.
On offense, he possesses the rare combination of downhill ability–he isn’t afraid to attack the basket and go up strong–and patience–he can probe a defense, waiting for his shot or for a cutter to get open. Defensively, he is a fighter and plays bigger than his listed size thanks to a plus wingspan and athleticism. If things go well for him in his development, he can become a two-way star at the next level.
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The On3 industry ranking considers Barnes as the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2027 class. He is also No. 4 in talent-rich Florida and No. 1 among combo guards. Both On3 and 247Sports list Barnes as a combo guard. Meanwhile, Rivals considers him a point guard, and ESPN calls him a shooting guard. He is ranked as high as No. 12 overall (by Rivals) in the class.
Per KSR’s Jacob Polacheck, Kentucky was the first school to reach out to Barnes when the contact period opened. The Wildcats, though, have not offered yet. Joining South Carolina among power conference teams with offers in for Barnes are the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Cincinnati Bearcats, Florida State Seminoles, UCF Knights, and Miami Hurricanes. The Gamecocks hosted him for an unofficial visit this fall.