North Carolina A&T

Barnett excelled as a three-sport star at Southwest Onslow High School in Jacksonville, N.C. As a football player, schools recruited him to play quarterback. Instead, he chose to become a signal-caller at N.C. A&T, but those plans quickly changed. Barnett became the final recruit for head coach Mo Forte who would soon leave his head coaching position at A&T to become a running back coach for the Detroit Lions in 1988.
 
That was not the only change Barnett went through after arriving at A&T. To add depth to the Aggies secondary, new Aggies head coach Bill Hayes decided to move Barnett to defensive back, where he played strong safety. Barnett adjusted well, becoming a part-time starter during his redshirt freshman season. Then, he became a full-time starter for the remainder of his career. He earned MEAC all-conference honorable mention honors as a sophomore, followed by two years of being named first-team All-MEAC. 
 
During his junior season, he broke the school record with 11 interceptions in one season, which still stands today. He was a founding member of the legendary "Blue Death" Defense that put fear in opposing offenses. During his tenure, the Aggies defense helped A&T win a black college national championship (1990) and two MEAC titles (1991, '92). Going into his senior season, Barnett's teammates voted him team captain, and the USA Today named him a preseason All-American. He once again led the Aggies in interceptions, leaving N.C. A&T with 19 picks for second all-time. After his senior year, the Sheridan Broadcasting News named him an All-American.