Linfield entered the 2024 season with vengeance on its mind after dropping the 2023 season finale against Whitworth, losing the conference championship and missing out on the 2023 NCAA Division III playoffs. Things changed for the Wildcats this season as they got back on top of the Northwest Conference and secured a first-round bye in the 2024 playoffs thanks to relentless effort by both coaches and players. This effort has been recognized as 13 players have been selected to the All-NWC offensive teams and head coach Joseph Smith was named the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year for the thirteenth time in his career.
 
The award comes after Smith led Linfield to its 68^th straight winning season, an NCAA record at any division. Jay Locey is the only other Linfield football coach to win the award, which was first awarded in 1996.
 
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
From the tight end position, Will French received his first All-NWC selection after an impressive redshirt junior season. The Portland native finished the season with 19 receptions for 206 yards and four touchdowns.
 
On the offensive line, Bailey Lee was selected to the All-NWC first team after two second team selections in 2022 and 2021. Austin Leykam makes it back-to-back seasons with a first team selection after a dominant junior season and Alex Hankins makes his first appearance in the All-NWC teams. The front line allowed just 13 sacks all season and helped the Wildcats in averaging 163.5 rush yards per game.
 
Maclain Stoneking earned the third All-NWC nomination of his career as a special teams returner after being named to the offensive second team a season ago and the first team after his sophomore season. The senior special teams standout totaled 459 return yards with his best game coming against Pacific where he recorded 81 kick return yards along with 106 punt return yards and a touchdown.
 
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
Blake Eaton notches his third All-NWC selection. The Crater High School product finished the season with a 67.8% completion percentage, 2,194 yards, 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions.
 
Partnering Eaton in the backfield, Jackson Pfeifer trampled opposing defenses on his way to his first All-NWC nod. The sophomore carried the ball 64 times for 298 yards and one touchdown. He also proved to be a receiving threat with 31 receptions for 323 yards and one touchdown.
 
Receivers Connor Wolfe and Caleb Woodcock both received their first All-NWC recognition thanks to explosive performances throughout the season. Wolfe tallied 39 receptions for 540 yards and seven touchdowns. Woodcock notched 30 receptions for 505 yards and six touchdowns.
 
Alongside Lee, Leykam and Hankins, on the offensive line, Ethan Hoppe and Lane Baker both received second-team offense nominations. This marks the second such award for Hoppe, who was also selected to the second team last season.
 
Punter Thomas Tabor made a habit of flipping the field for the Wildcats, resulting in his second straight second team selection. The senior from Seattle averaged 43.5 yards per punt, 12 of which landed inside the opposing 20-yard line.
 
HONORABLE MENTION
Gavin Dalziel rounds out the offensive awards for Linfield, being named an All-NWC honorable mention, the first such award of his career. Dalziel made 54 of 55 extra points and 13 of 17 field goals, with a long of 49 yards against George Fox.
 
NOTES
Zion Booker from Pacific became the first player to receive the NWC Special Teams Player of the Year. Oa Kamakawiwoole is the second player from Lewis & Clark to win Rookie of the Year after Cameron Chang won it in 2017. Whitworth's quarterback, Ryan Blair was named Offensive Player of the Year.