How will Utah Utes utilize Lander Barton this season?

'He's such a good athlete and he's such a high football IQ guy, that he catches on to things really quickly'

Utah linebacker Lander Barton will play some tight end for the Utes in 2025. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Four years after starring as a two-way player in high school, Lander Barton is finally getting an opportunity to showcase his versatility on both sides of the ball heading into his senior season with the Utah Utes.

The Brighton High School (Utah) product has spent his entire college career up to this point at linebacker, rising up Utah's depth chart and eventually earning full-time starter status.

Barton figures to captain the Utes' defense once again in 2025, but as fall camp progresses and the coaching staff examines possible options at tight end — a position Freddie Whittingham says he's "cautiously optimistic" about — it appears calling out defensive plays won't be Barton's only responsibilities this season.

"We will have opportunities where he comes in as one of the tight ends," Whittingham said after Wednesday's fall camp practice. "And we'll have some specific plays that we want him to run."

Whittingham, entering season No. 10 as Utah's tight ends coach, admitted to coveting Barton as a tight end prospect when the Utes recruited him at Brighton. Barton, formerly a four-star linebacker according to 247Sports, caught 37 passes for 416 yards and seven touchdowns during his senior year with the Bengals.

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Despite his productivity on offense, Barton wanted to play linebacker in college, and the Utes didn't necessarily need him to step into a tight end role anyway with Dalton Kincaid, Thomas Yassmin and Brant Kuithe catching passes from Cameron Rising.

Instead, Barton made an impact defensively as a freshman, recording 46 total tackles, including 8.0 for loss and 4.5 sacks, to go along with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup in 2022. An injury limited him to seven games in 2023, though not before tallying 34 tackles (0.5 for loss) with four passes defended (two interceptions and two pass break-ups) and a forced fumble.

After leading the Utes in tackles in 2024, Barton's a prime candidate to lead the team in that category in 2025 as well. Given his size at 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, it was perhaps only a matter of time before Utah tried him out at tight end.

"He's always wanted to play linebacker, but he was so productive in high school as a tight end and slot receiver that it's a natural now, in this day and age where play more players are getting an opportunity to play on both sides of the ball, to utilize his talent as a tight end," Whittingham said of Barton. "He's such a good athlete and he's such a high football IQ guy, that he catches on to things really quickly. And I think this offense will help him, because it's just a little bit more plug and play with how it's structured and not as much memorization."

How much of Jason Beck's offense at Utah utilizes tight ends remains to be seen, though the depth at the position allows for some creativity. Otto Tia, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound redshirt senior, will likely see opportunities in an H-back role with the Utes. Redshirt freshman Hunter Andrews is another versatile threat with the ability to line up in multiple spots on the field. With senior Dallen Bentley serving as a more end-line tight end, Andrews could see time in the backfield or along the line of scrimmage — sort of like how the San Francisco 49ers use Kyle Juszczyk on offense.

"I think if you look at it on the surface, there's not a lot of returning production from last year," Whittingham said of Utah's tight end room. "And so I am cautiously optimistic that we have guys that have the traits that we're looking for in a tight end; the skills as blockers, as route runners and pass catchers."