St Louis CITY2 signed forward Palmer Ault, defender Jemone Barclay, and goalkeeper Nate Martinez to one-year MLS NEXT Pro contracts. Ault is signed through December 2026 with club options through June 2028, Martinez is signed through December 2026 with a club option through June 2027, and Barclay is signed through June 2027 with a club option through June 2028.
“Palmer, Jemone, and Nate are important additions for CITY2, as they each bring quality and experience that will strengthen our group this season,” said CITY2 Head Coach David Critchley. “They address key needs across our roster and will play an important role in helping us compete consistently throughout the year.”
Ault finished his senior season with Indiana University in 2025, after spending three years at Butler University, where he scored 37 goals and recorded 22 assists. His senior season was his best, as he scored 16 goals and added 10 assists. His play earned him recognition as the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and he was unanimously named to the All-Big Ten First Team. In conference play, Ault led the Big Ten in points in 2025, finished second in goals (seven), tied for first in assists (eight), and ranked second in shots (33) and shots on goal (16). Indiana had a 10-1-1 record when Ault scored or recorded an assist. At Butler University, he was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2022 and earned First-Team All-BIG EAST honors that year. Ault was previously selected in the second round (number 36 overall) of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft by Colorado Rapids.
Barclay, a Jamaican international, recently closed out his final collegiate season with UNC Charlotte, making 14 appearances and registering five assists. Prior to attending UNC Charlotte, Barclay played three seasons at the University of South Florida, where he made 45 appearances, scored one goal, and tallied seven assists. In 2024 with USF, Barclay was named to the 2024 AAC All-Tournament team. While at UNC Charlotte, he earned Second Team All-Conference honors and was named the American Conference Defensive player of the week twice in the 2025 season. Internationally, Barclay was named to Jamaica’s U-20 squad for the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, where he made four appearances including the quarterfinal against the Dominican Republic.
Hailing from Decatur, Georgia, Martinez completed his senior season with Georgia Southern University in 2025, starting all 18 matches for the Eagles. The goalkeeper set a program record with eight clean sheets in 2025 while also earning a career record with 17 shutouts. Martinez is Georgia Southern’s all-time leader in goals-against average at 1.35. Over his four-year career at GSU, Martinez made 52 appearances highlighted by an impressive 12-4-1 record and 0.93 GAA in his final season.
TRANSACTION: St Louis CITY2 signs forward Palmer Ault through December 2026 with club options through June 2028, goalkeeper Nate Martinez through December 2026 with a club option through June 2027, and defender Jemone Barclay through June 2027 with a club option through June 2028.
PLAYER INFORMATION
Name: Palmer Ault
DOB: 04/19/2004
Position: Forward
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 160 lbs
Hometown: Noblesville, Indiana
Name: Jemone Barclay
DOB: 06/09/2003
Position: Defender
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 189 lbs
Hometown: Portmore Pines, Jamaica
Name: Nate Martinez
DOB: 06/01/2004
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 195 lbs
Hometown: Decatur, Georgia
