Makai

Polk

Polk (6'3/200) is a largely overlooked wide receive in the 2022 NFL Draft, despite all of his accomplishments last season. Over the course of that time, he became one of only six players in SEC history to record 100 receptions or more during a single season. He finished out his final collegiate season with 105 receptions for 1,046 yards with nine touchdowns, one of the Bulldogs’ most efficient players.

Polk (6'3/200) reportedly asked to be evaluated as an NFL Draft prospect, and liked enough of what he was told to decide that now is the time for him to take the leap to the next level. This season for the Bulldogs, Polk broke out for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns on 105 receptions, after catching no more than 19 balls for 296 yards in his two previous seasons at Cal. Polk worked out wide and largely served as a possession receiver, averaging just 9.9 yards per reception while having an average depth of target of 8.6 yards according to Pro Football Focus.

Polk’s (6'3/200) touchdown at the end of the first half was the key to erasing a 25-point first-half deficit. With less than two minutes remaining, Polk got open in the back of the end zone on a dig route. That catch spearheaded the comeback and 37-straight points for the Bulldogs. Later on in the game, he caught a 6-yard slant route to give the Bulldogs the lead for good early in the fourth quarter. This was Polk’s second game of the year with two touchdowns and now has six on the season. The Bulldogs take on Tennessee State next Saturday.

Polk opened the scoring with a nine-yard touchdown from Will Rogers near the top of the first quarter, and in the middle of the second quarter, he found paydirt with a 31-yard score from the right arm of Rogers a quarter later. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout has scored in four-of-five games, and is up to six touchdowns on the season. Polk will get a chance to keep the good run going next Saturday against Kentucky.

Polk (6'3"/200) and Rogers led the Bulldogs to their biggest win of the season. The first touchdown came towards the end of the first half when Rogers connected with Polk on the right side of the end zone as he dove for the 15-yard touchdown. They must have loved it because they connected again later. A Texas A&M defender tripped up and fell, leaving Polk open for the 20-yard touchdown that would be what they needed for the win. Miss State will have a chance to make it two upsets in a row when they host Alabama on October 16th.

Mississippi State did their best to engineer a win in this one, but ran out of time after scoring their final touchdown with 1:58 to go in the game to cut LSU’s lead to 28-25. Polk (6'3/200) hauled in a 29-yard touchdown near the end of the third quarter to get the Bulldog’s comeback started. It marked the second straight week in which Polk found the end zone, as he now has a receiving line 33/304/2 on the season. The Bulldogs (2-2) travel to Texas A&M (3-1) for a Saturday night matchup in Week 5.

This is the second time in three games that the Cal transfer Polk (6'3/185) has caught at least 10 passes. Though he was very effective throughout the contest, his hands-down best play came on a pass from Will Rogers where Polk beat the slot corner covering him up the seam for a 36-yard touchdown reception with 1:32 left that brought MSU within two points and possibly a tie depending on the results of the two-point conversion. Unfortunately the conversion failed and MSU dropped the hard fought battle, but that doesn’t take away from Polk’s revelatory performance. He will look to repeat his standout showing next Saturday when MSU hosts SEC West rival LSU.

Polk (6'3/185) appeared in four games for the Golden Bears this season, catching 17 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. For his career the sophomore, who will have up to three seasons of eligibility remaining at Mississippi State, caught 36 passes for 478 yards and three touchdowns. Polk should be an immediate contributor for the Bulldogs in Mike Leach’s version of the “Air Raid” offense.

Polk (6'3/185) tabulated 36 receptions for 478 yards, 13.3 YPC and three touchdowns during his Berkeley tenure. The sophomore wideout only played in four games this season as a steady presence in the Cal offense, receiving six targets per game, catching 17-of-25 passes for a 68 percent catch rate, 183 yards and a touchdown. He impressively did not drop a pass this season and will be an instant contributor wherever he lands.

Polk (6'3/185) nearly matched his season total in yardage in the bowl game. Prior to the bowl game, Polk had just 190 yards on the year, but he notched just over half that against Illinois. Polk had almost no playing time up through October, but as soon as the calendar flipped into November, Polk turned into arguably the team’s best receiver. Polk earned at least 70 yards in three of his final five games, including the bowl against Illinois. Expect Polk to build on that late-2019 success next season.