The Barton name has been synonymous with the Utah football program for a number of years now, and another member of the family is primed to join.
This one could be the best of them all and wasn’t necessarily thought to be a slam dunk to be a Ute.
Nevertheless, on Wednesday evening, Brighton High linebacker Lander Barton announced his pledge to the program as part of the class of 2022.
A kid who by all accounts doesn’t like the spotlight, Barton announced his commitment on the Instagram page of his sister, Utah volleyball star Dani Drews.
Barton will be continuing a family legacy that includes his brothers Cody (a fellow linebacker) and Jackson (an offensive lineman), who are now both in the NFL after excellent careers as Utes, as well as his sister.
Despite that legacy, Barton was being courted heavily by the likes of Michigan and Oregon, among many others.
Listed by 247 Sports at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Barton was ranked by the site as the 24th-best linebacker in the country. He was the top-ranked prospect in Utah until Corner Canyon quarterback and USC commit Devin Brown moved from Arizona during the summer.
Barton becomes the eighth prospect to be committed to the Utes as part of their 2022 recruiting class.