Linfield football coach Joseph Smith announced a group of six defensive backs who are part of a 50-member football recruiting class coming Linfield this fall as freshmen. Among the six defensive backs are five from the Pacific Northwest and one from Hawaii.
 
Each incoming student-athlete has been accepted to the college and paid their enrollment deposit.
 
Caiden Biege-Witherbee, Frank Cooper, Kainalu Keliikuli-Grace, Cutter Hillock, Seth Olmos and Jett Searle make up the incoming freshmen defensive back group.
 
"This group of defensive backs are particularly strong tacklers and I see that being a real strength of the group," said Smith. "They move well and have some very strong skill sets. It is particularly heavy on the inside safety position, but I see some of these young men being able to play either safety or corner.
 
"This is not a very large secondary group in number, but it is heavy on talent, and it is going to be fun to see what they can do."
 

CAIDEN BIEGE-WITHERBEE              
5-11 • 195 •  VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
LAKERIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

• Six-time letter winner in football, track & field and lacrosse.
• Second-team all-Three Rivers League safety.

 
Coach Smith's thoughts: "Caiden had an incredible year defensively for Lakeridge. He has a real knack for judging angles to the ball and making tackles all over the field."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield to not only have the opportunity to play football again, but also receive a great education that is close to home."
 

FRANK COOPER
 5-11 • 170 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
WILSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

• Three-time letter winner in football and track & field.
• Three-time OSAA Scholar Student-Athlete award winner.
• All-Northwest Oregon Conference honorable mention.

 
Coach Smith's thoughts: "Frank had a strong year for Wilsonville. He will be a solid addition and will fit in well here at Linfield."
 
Why Linfield? I chose Linfield because of the winning culture and the great team bond of the football team and the campus felt like home when I took my visit.
 

KAINALU KELIIKULI-GRACE
5-10 • 170 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
JAMES B CASTLE HIGH SCHOOL

• Three-time letter winner in football and competed in track & field.
• Two-time Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I honorable mention.

 
Coach Smith's thoughts: "Kainalu has great versatility as a defensive player. His tackling ability stands out to me. He is physical. We see Kainalu as a safety or possibly even at outside linebacker."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield because of the great atmosphere, great vibe, great football program."
 

CUTTER HILLOCK
5-10 • 180 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
ISSAQUAH HIGH SCHOOL

• Four-year letter winner in football and lacrosse.
• 2019 first-team all-conference.
• Two-time Team MVP.

 
Coach Smith's thoughts: "Cutter was dominant for Issaquah, making plays sideline to sideline.  He has great range and instincts attacking the football in the air and making solid tackles in the open field."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose to attend Linfield because of the family atmosphere I saw on my visit and the bond I saw between teammates on my visit."
 

SETH OLMOS
5-10 • 175 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN HIGH SCHOOL

• Letter winner in football.
• Second-team all-league.

 
Coach Smith's thoughts: "Seth comes from a strong program and his ball skills at defensive back are particularly high. Seth made many plays on the football, and that really stands out."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield because it felt like home right as I stepped foot on campus. Everyone was so welcoming and the campus is beautiful."
 

JETT SEARLE
6-0 • 175 • VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
TUALATIN HIGH SCHOOL

• Seven-time letter winner in football and baseball.
• First-team all-league safety.
• All-state safety.
• Honorable mention all-league wide receiver.

 
Coach Smith's thoughts: "Jett is a tremendous athlete and could play either side of the ball at many positions. Jett was instrumental in helping Tualatin High School rise to become a power in the state under Coach Dan Lever. Jett is a charismatic leader and we are so excited to see just how high his ceiling can be."
 
Why Linfield? "I chose Linfield because I wanted to become a part of the culture here and have an impact on other people lives."
 
Smith summed up the defensive backs group, saying "we look for men that wish to be part of culture that tries to do common things in an uncommon manner. We have a distinct culture that has made us successful for six decades, and I believe these young men desire to be a part of that, and to make it even stronger.
 
"We can't wait to get to work with these men and see just how much we can improve as a team."