Linfield football junior punter Cade Johannsen and senior defensive back Kenyon Johnson head into the 2026 season tabbed D3football.com Preseason First Team All-Americans.
 
The two Wildcats return to the gridiron this fall, each coming off All-America honors in the 2025 season. 
 
Johannsen paced all of Division III in his sophomore campaign with an average of 44.7 yards per punt. The Eugene, Oregon native, booted 30 total punts with just three touchbacks, recording a career-long of 57-yards in the season opener against Wisconsin-Oshkosh. A computer science major, Johannsen had 11 punts exceed 50-yards, earning himself First Team All-Northwest Conference, First Team All-Region 6, and lastly First Team All-America. 
 
Pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 12 times, Johannsen aims to be the first Wildcat to earn consecutive D3football.com First Team All-America honors since defensive end Alex Hoff (2014 & 2015). He is also the first punter to earn All-America honors since James Wilson in 2003.
 
Senior defensive back Kenyon Johnson looks to be the first Linfield DB to earn consecutive All-America honors since Branden Hughes (1994 & 1995) and the first to do so since moving to NCAA Division III. 
 
Johnson, a native of Vancouver, Washington, made 26 total tackles, picked off opponents three times, and broke up nine passes over eight games in his junior season. His nine pass defended led the NWC per-game with a 1.13 average, finishing the season tied for the third-most interceptions (3) with teammate Paavan Bankston. The exercise science major was named First Team All-Northwest Conference, First Team All-Region 6, Third Team All-America, and to the NWC All-Sportsmanship Team a season ago. 
 
The two will prove to play a large role on the Wildcats roster who most recently received votes in D3football.com's 2026 Preseason Top 25 poll.