UW Roster Review, No. 2-99: Polk Came to Huskies From Texas Tech Free of Charge
Five veteran University of Washington wide receivers headed for the transfer portal once last season ended. Those guys went out the door with a collective 14 receptions for 214 yards and a touchdown during the Huskies' four-game, pandemic-shortened campaign.
The trade-off was portal pick-up Ja'Lynn Polk.
While appearing in 10 games and starting seven as a true freshman for Texas Tech, Polk arrived in Seattle with 28 catches for 264 yards and 2 TDs, bringing in a lot more production than what left, no matter how you look at it.
Those Polk numbers still weren't nearly as impressive as these: He still has five seasons to play four for the Huskies — as if last season in Lubbock, Texas, never happened. He picked up college experience and didn't have to pay for it with eligibility.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder came to Jimmy Lake's team with a load of experience, scoring on a 60-yard home run-ball against TCU and a 10-yard toss against Oklahoma. And, according to COVID provisions, it never took place.
"You're able to get a kid that's played college football reps, if you know what I'm saying, that's played live football games on Saturday in front of people," UW receivers coach Junior Adams said. "He's a big, physical kid. Strong hands. Catches the ball well. The sky's the limit. He's still growing."
Going down the roster in numerical order, this is another of our post-spring assessments of all of the Husky talent at hand, gleaned from a month of observations, as a way to keep everyone engaged during the offseason.
Polk recently switched to No. 12 after wearing 23 throughout UW spring football practice, matching the number he wore at Tech. Which, according to the pandemic provisions, he never attended.
The following video shows him at Husky spring ball, displaying soft hands and nice moves.
Polk left a Texas Tech program made famous by coach Mike Leach and quarterback Pat Mahomes because he personally didn't feel the right vibe there, certainly not like he had at his football-crazy Lufkin High School in east Texas, not far from the Louisiana state line.
At Lufkin, Polk finished as the second all-time receiver with 131 catches for 2,412 yards and 24 scores. Not bad, considering the Friday Night Lights high school previously produced elite wide receivers in Dez Bryant, who went from Lufkin to Oklahoma State before becoming an NFL headliner with the Dallas Cowboys; and Keke Coutee, who headed from Lufkin to Texas Tech and now plays for the Houston Texans.
Looking for a new place to land, Polk let running back Caleb Berry, a former Lufkin High teammate and a Husky recruiting commit, talk him into joining him at the Pac-12 program.
Thanks to the loosening of the transfer and eligibility rules in the face of the global pandemic, Polk will contend for a starting spot with a lot of young, talented UW receivers.
As the youngest guy.
It's as if he found a fountain of youth in Seattle.
And the Huskies came up with the most battle-tested freshman receiver they'll ever find.
2021 Outlook: Wide-receiver starting candidate
Texas Tech Service Time: Played in 10 games, started 7
Stats: 28 receptions for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns
Individual Honors: Not yet
Pro prospects: 2025 NFL middle-round pick
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