Utes on the rise: linebacker Lander Barton
With the 2022 Utah Football season now fully in the rear-view mirror and spring ball not too far off, it's time to reflect and review on the notable performances from this past year.
While players like Cameron Rising, Dalton Kincaid, Clark Phillips III and Cole Bishop made a lot of the big plays, there were a handful of younger players who made notable contributions and are certainly on the rise for 2023.
The following is a recap and analysis of freshman Lander Barton, his 2022 contributions, and what potential may lie in store.
One of the biggest local names to ever commit to the University of Utah, the hype around Barton was completely justified as he was quickly inserted into Utah's defense and got better as the season went on. Using the first few games as learning opportunities, Barton's development was obvious as he thoroughly improved down the stretch.
After his first year at Utah, Barton finished with 46 total tackles (5th most on the team), 26 of which were solo and included eight tackles for loss. Barton also had one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, three QB hurries and a pass break-up.
From this defensive production, Barton strung together notable performances such as a career-high six tackles in the Pac-12 Championship against USC, a fumble recovery in that same game and contributed a career-high three tackles for loss in the Rose Bowl against Penn State.
While it understandably took some time to adjust to the collegiate level, Barton came along way over the course of the year. His technique heavily improved, he was far more instinctual and he learned how to create problems for the offense rather than just record tackles.
Lander Barton, Utah Spring Game.
Jeffrey Bennett, FanNation AllUtes.
Looking ahead to the future, time and experience will be Barton's greatest ally as he already possesses all the necessary skills, but just needs more experience in order to develop them. While the linebacker position remains one of the deepest and most competitive rooms on the team, if Barton can continue developing at the rate we saw over the last half of the season, he could be a favorite to start in 2023.
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