Countdown 30 Days: Happy Cody Barton Day
Ever since a young age, it seemed that it was Cody Barton’s birthright, to be a Ute. The son of two gifted former Utes, Barton heads into his senior season, with high expectations, as the best could be yet to come for the three year contributor. Barton may not go into 2018 as a team captain, but he’ll be an unquestioned leader for the defense.
Although he was lightly recruited, Barton showed enough athleticism and promise as a true freshman to see live action in five games on defense and 12 on special teams. He built on that during his sophomore and junior seasons, as he went on to play in 11 games on defense with five starts in 2016 and 13 games with four starts in 2017. However, despite the athleticism, eagerness, and energy that Barton brought to the field, he often struggled to be consistent in understanding his assignments and playing with discipline, which prevented him from starting more consistently throughout his career.
After those inconsistencies, by the end of 2017 the light seemed to come on. He followed that up with an outstanding performance in spring camp. Barton was undoubtedly the most improved defensive player of that camp, and locked down a starting spot going into fall. Barton was noticeably bigger and looked faster, too, but that could have just been because he was playing with less hesitation and appeared to finally have a sound understanding of his role within the defense. If that continues throughout fall camp and into the season, expect big things from Barton in his senior year.
Andrew Fronce’s Take:
After playing safety in high school, Barton bulked up to play linebacker for his freshman year at Utah. His growth and the position change would prove to be a long process, but his determination could be about to pay off. In the past, Barton always seemed a step slow. However, all indications are that that changed in the spring, as Barton found himself in the middle of play after play, getting the better of his offensive opponent. During the spring camp, he showed his versatility up in the box and also dropping into coverage. He’ll want to continue the sound tackling that he displayed during that camp. Now the ultimate key for him will be consistency and if he does that, he’ll catch the interest of the NFL—he’s honestly improved that much.
Alex Remembers Barton’s Recruitment:
Due to an injury that limited his junior season, Barton was largely under-the-radar as Brighton had a slew of coveted 2105 and 2016 recruits. However, he worked his tail off and got in front of the Utah coaches, any chance he could get. An offer soon followed at the Utah Elite Football Camp, where the legacy Ute committed on the spot.
It was a crowning achievement for Barton, who one year before, was called into Kyle Whittingham’s office with his cousin Kavika Fonua, and given encouragement—Fonua received an offer, but Barton didn’t. Still, the meeting was calculated, Whittingham wanted him to see the end goal that his hard work would eventually bring him.