Lander Barton
American football player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lander Barton (born December 30, 2003)[1] is an American college 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.
Cottonwood Heights, Utah, U.S.
| No. 8 – Utah Utes | |
|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker |
| Class | Senior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 30, 2003 Cottonwood Heights, Utah, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Brighton (Cottonwood Heights) |
| College | Utah (2022–2025) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Early life
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]
College career
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]