Barton was born in
Cottonwood Heights, Utah, later attending
Brighton High School. He comes from a family of athletes; his father, Paul, played baseball and football for the
Utah Utes; his mother, Mikki-Kane, was an honorable mention
All-American basketball player for Utah as well as an athlete competing in volleyball; his sister,
Dani Drews, was an All-American volleyball player for the Utes and is a professional volleyball player overseas, in the United States, and for the
United States Women’s National Team; and both of his brothers,
Cody and
Jackson, each have played for Utah and in the
National Football League (NFL). Barton attended
Brighton High School and played basketball and football: in football, he was twice first-team all-state, twice first-team all-region and was the 2020 Region 6
MVP; and in basketball he was a second-team all-state choice. He played
linebacker and
wide receiver in football, totaling 122
tackles in addition to two
interceptions as a
senior while also having a career total of 16
receiving touchdowns. He committed to play
college football for the Utah Utes, following in the steps of several of his family members. == College career ==