With eight days left until the University of Utah kicks off against the SUU Thunderbirds, it’s time to talk about someone whose family is a form of Utes royalty: No. 8 Lander Barton.

The son of Paul and Mikki Barton, everyone in Lander’s immediate family played sports at Utah — including his brothers Jackson and Cody, and his sister Dani (volleyball). Both his mom and sister are in the conversation as the greatest Lady Utes of all time.

Barton has more than lived up to the astronomically high expectations since stepping foot on campus, appearing in 21 career games with 10 starts over basically a season and a half of action. The former Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and College Football News Freshman All-American, is one of two leaders (along with Karene Reid) of a deep and talented linebacker room.

UteNation Take

The 6-foot-4 and 236-pound backer came into the program with exceptional sideline-to-sideline instincts and versatility to drop into coverage or pursue the offensive backfield. That allowed him to see significant reps immediately as a true freshman. He was really coming into his own in 2023 before the injury. He's been able to practice since spring ball, but they kept the spring workload light for him since he was already a proven commodity.

This season, Barton is one to watch as a potential early entrant into the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s been widely believed since he arrived at Utah that Barton was a 3-and-done NFL prospect, and he’s kept that trajectory with his growth and development under the tutelage of Colton Swan and Morgan Scalley.

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.