Utah Utes–No. 8 | |
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Position | Linebacker |
Class | Junior |
Major | Communication |
Personal information | |
Born: | Cottonwood Heights, Utah, U.S. | December 30, 2003
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight | 236 lb (107 kg) |
Career history | |
College | Utah (2022–present) |
High school | Brighton (Cottonwood Heights) |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Lander Barton (born December 30, 2003) [1] is an American football linebacker for the Utah Utes. He was named the 2022 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He is the younger brother of NFL players Cody Barton and Jackson Barton.
Barton was born c. 2003 – c. 2004 in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, later attending Brighton High School. [2] [3] He comes from a family of athletes; his father, Paul, played baseball and football for the Utah Utes; his mother, Mikki-Kane, was an honorable mention All-American basketball player for Utah as well as an athlete competing in volleyball; his sister, Dani Drews, was an All-American volleyball player for the Utes and is a professional volleyball player overseas, in the United States, and for the United States Women’s National Team; [4] and both of his brothers, Cody and Jackson, each have played for Utah and in the National Football League (NFL). [5]
Barton attended Brighton High School and played basketball and football: in football, he was twice first-team all-state, twice first-team all-region and was the 2020 Region 6 MVP; and in basketball he was a second-team all-state choice. [6] [7] [8] He played linebacker and wide receiver in football, totaling 122 tackles in addition to two interceptions as a senior while also having a career total of 16 receiving touchdowns. [8] Barton was highly recruited, being ranked a four-star prospect, the second-best player in the state and the 17th-best linebacker nationally. [6] [9] [10] He committed to play college football for the Utah Utes, following in the steps of several of his family members. [11]
As a true freshman at Utah in 2022, Barton appeared in 14 games, three as a starter, and posted 46 tackles, eight TFLs, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. [12] [13] He was selected by College Football News as a second-team Freshman All-American and was named the Pac-12 Conference Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. [6] [14] He entered the 2023 season as a starter at linebacker. [12]