We sit at 20 days left in the UteNation countdown to kickoff series and today we discuss no. 20, Lander Barton. The sophomore linebacker came to Utah not only as an Utah Football legacy, but an Utah Athletics legacy. The Barton family could have an entire series alone, but the youngest Barton is already making a name for himself.

Lander more than lived up to the high expectations in 2022 as he appeared in all 14 games with three starts in his freshman season on the way to Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and College Football News Freshman All-America Second Team honors.

UteNation Take

With Mo Diabate graduating and a couple transfers, Barton finds himself alongside Karene Reid as returning starters of a fairly young but extremely talented linebacker room.

Barton came into the program with exceptional sideline-to-sideline instincts and versatility to drop into coverage or pursue the offensive backfield. The 6-foot-4 and 242 pounder has packed on 15-20 pounds over the offseason and kept his speed and quickness. That’s a scary thought for any opposing offense.

Remembering Barton's Recruitment

While it seemed like destiny that Barton would be a Ute, it wasn’t a sure thing. Both Michigan and Texas made strong pushes for him, before he made the call to stay home. During Lander’s recruitment, the 4-star Rivals100 linebacker was encouraged by his brother Cody to keep an open mind, but his mom wanted her youngest to stay home.