Lander Barton

Lander Barton (born 2004 (age 11)) is an American football linebacker for the Utah Utes. He was a Freshman All-American and was named the Pac-12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2022.

Early life and high school
Barton was born in Cottonwood Heights, Utah and attended Brighton High School. 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).

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. 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. Barton was highly recruited, being ranked a four-star prospect, the second-best player in the state and the 17th-best linebacker nationally. He committed to play college football for the Utah Utes, following in the steps of several of his family members.

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. 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. He entered the 2023 season as a starter at linebacker.