The Linfield College football team has four committed running backs as part of the 2020 recruiting class announced by coach Joseph Smith.
 
Oregon natives Jake Henricks, Divenson Willis and Zach Young, plus Washington-bred Tyler Larson, make up the four-member running back class. Each of the four has been accepted to Linfield and paid their deposit to enroll in the fall.
 
"This group of young Catbacks is going to be enjoyable to watch develop. These four young men are all fierce competitors and all have different skills sets. They will provide much needed depth to our stable and I see coach (Greg) McAnally having a lot of fun working with these young men," said Smith.
 
JAKE HENRICKS
5-10 • 190 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
GRANTS PASS HIGH SCHOOL • GRANTS PASS, ORE.

• Four-time letter winner in football and basketball.
• Team captain.
• First team all-Southwest Conference running back.
• Second team all-Southwest Conference linebacker.

Coach Smith's thoughts: "On this year's roster, we will have two Jakes from Grants Pass and both played for coach John Musser. Jake Henricks actually plays a lot like Jake Stoffel did in high school. Jake Henricks has great versatility in his game. He can catch the football and is dangerous in the open field."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield College because of the opportunity to strive for excellence and better myself in football and academics."
 
TYLER LARSON
5-8 • 190 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
SNOHOMISH HIGH SCHOOL • SNOHOMISH, WASH.

• Four-time letter winner.
• Two-time all-WESCO running back.
• Second team all-WESCO linebacker.
• Totaled 1,000 yards during both his junior and senior seasons.
• Team MVP. 

Coach Smith's thoughts: "Tyler has great vision and patience as a runner. Ski racing has developed his legs and he can make cuts that few backs are able to make. I look forward to seeing Tyler take some runs into the end zone for us!"
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield to get a very good education at a great school and play football for a great program."
 
DIVENSON WILLIS
5-8 • 190 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
NORTH BEND HIGH SCHOOL • NORTH BEND, ORE.

• 11-time letter winner in football, swimming, track & field and wrestling.
• School's all-time leading single-game rusher.
• Two-time first team all-conference running back and linebacker.
• Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• Will also compete in swimming at Linfield.

Coach Smith's thoughts: "Divenson is a dynamic personality off the field and he will be a joy to have on the team. I am looking forward to his physicality on the field. He has tremendous power running the ball and loves to get north and south."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield because of the winning tradition of the football program. I felt the energy that everyone was in it to play, as well as it's pretty close to home."
 
ZACH YOUNG
5-8 • 175 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
MONROE HIGH SCHOOL • MONROE, ORE.

• 12-time letter winner in football, basketball, track & field and baseball.
• Two-time Oregon Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year.
• Three-time first team all-state running back, linebacker and punter.
• 2017 first team all-state kicker.
• Most career all-purpose yards in Oregon high school football history.
• Three-time Mountain Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
• Four-time first team all-Mountain Valley Conference running back.
• Three-time first-team all-Mountain Valley Conference linebacker, punter and kicker.
• Member of 2017 state championship team.
• Member of three league championship teams.
• Will also compete in track & field at Linfield.

Coach Smith's thoughts: "Zach was one of the top recruits identified early in this class. The yardage he racked up in high school speaks for itself, as he stands alone in the history of Oregon. He is very explosive and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He also will be dominant in track and field here at Linfield."
 
Why Linfield? I chose Linfield because of the culture. I love to win and Linfield does a lot of that.  It felt like the perfect fit.
 
In summation of the running back class, Smith said "the running back position is such a demanding position physically. You must have the athletic ability as well as the physical durability to be successful. This position must withstand a great deal of wear and tear, therefore I am happy to see our four incoming backs have toughness and durability. The future is bright for this group."