Following his senior season in 2007, he was a first-team all-state selection by The Tennessean and the Tennessee Sports Writers Association, and was a U.S. Army high school All-American.

Barrett's grandfather, Bill Jones, is a college basketball head coaching legend in the state of Alabama.

He subsequently earned Freshman All-America honors from College Football News and Phil Steele.

Off the field, he has earned a degree in accounting, graduating summa cum laude in August 2011 with a 4.0 grade point average.

[7] He received the 2011 ARA Sportsmanship Award and 2011 Wuerffel Trophy for combined athletic, academic and community service achievement.

On December 6, 2012, Jones was awarded the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football.

Even with the injury, in the BCS Championship game four weeks later, Jones earned praise for handling Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix III mostly by himself, giving left guard Chance Warmack the freedom to maneuver downfield to block Fighting Irish linebackers for Eddie Lacy and T. J.

On October 6, 2015, Jones was signed by the Chicago Bears' practice squad, following a season-ending injury to Will Montgomery.

[16] In 2017 Jones was hired by ESPN Radio as a color analyst for college football and occasional NFL broadcasts.