| Lander Barton | |
| School: | Utah Utes |
| Pastschools: | Utah (2022–present) |
| Currentnumber: | 8 |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Class: | Junior |
| Major: | Communication |
| Birth Place: | Cottonwood Heights, Utah, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 4 |
| Weight Lb: | 236 |
| Highlights: |
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| Espn: | 4685272 |
Lander Barton (born)[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 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 both of his brothers, Cody and Jackson, each have played for Utah and in the National Football League (NFL).[4]
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.[5] [6] [7] 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.[7] Barton was highly recruited, being ranked a four-star prospect, the second-best player in the state and the 17th-best linebacker nationally.[5] [8] [9] He committed to play college football for the Utah Utes, following in the steps of several of his family members.[10]
As a true freshman at Utah in 2022, Barton appeared in 14 games, three as a starter, and posted 46 tackles, eight, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.[11] [12] 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.[5] [13] He entered the 2023 season as a starter at linebacker.[11]