Inside The Huskies

Ja'Lynn Polk Promises Postseason Return for Huskies Next Year

After an injury wiped out much of his UW debut campaign, the Texas Tech transfer eyes a big comeback for everyone.

Dan Raley

Finally a University of Washington wide receiver with something to say other than farewell.

On Tuesday, sophomore pass-catcher Ja'Lynn Polk took stock of a college football postseason without the Huskies involved and on social media he vowed that would change.

"FEEL ME WHEN I SAY THIS  ... WE WILL BE PLAYING NEXT YEAR AROUND THIS TIME."

Polk, who transferred in from Texas Tech, offered this statement amid another wave of wide receivers fleeing the program, the second in two seasons, with seven players at that position moving on from the UW over 12 months.

Senior Terrell Bynum and sophomore Sawyer Racanelli recently hit the transfer portal, their departures coming after fellow UW pass-catchers Puka Nacua (BYU), Austin Osborne (Bowling Green), Marquis Spiker (Portland State), Jordan Chin (Sacramento State) and Ty Jones (Fresno State) chose to go elsewhere following the 2020 season. 

Most left in search of more playing time. 

As a welcome newcomer from the Big 12 where he spent his true freshman year, Polk inadvertently experienced a season as shortchanged as any for a UW player this past fall.

On the first play of the season against Montana, Polk came up with a 13-yard reception and suffered a chest injury all at once. He was taken for surgery and missed the next nine games.

In his first appearance post-injury, Polk was summoned from the bench and caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Morris in the fourth quarter against Colorado. 

He ended the season by starting and catching 2 passes for 41 yards against Washington State in the Apple Cup.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound receiver from Lufkin, Texas, finished with season totals of 5 catches for 114 yards and that lone score in Boulder, Colorado. 

As sportswriter Mike Vorel suggested, he and plenty of others would like to see what Ja'Lynn Polk can do over a full season in Seattle in new coach Kalen DeBoer's wide-open offense, especially in that bowl game he promised.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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