Mississippi State Record-Setting WR Makai Polk Declares for NFL Draft

Mississippi State wide receiver Makai Polk, a standout transfer from the University of California, declared for the NFL Draft on Sunday afternoon.

Although Polk only spent one season with the Bulldogs, he quickly became the team's leading receiver. The redshirt sophomore led all wide receivers in nearly every category and finished the season with 105 receptions for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns. Polk had four games in which he totaled more than 100 receiving yards-- the highest of which was 136 yards against Memphis-- and scored two touchdowns in each game against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Auburn. 

Despite a slow start, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete quickly rose to the top. Polk had 57 yards against Louisiana Tech to start the season, then followed that performance up with a season-low 33 yards against NC State. However, he improved vastly from there. Polk tied former Mississippi State athlete Fred Ross's single-season reception record when he caught his 88th pass against Tennessee State on Nov. 20. He broke that record against Ole Miss and extended his lead by a good bit by adding 17 more receptions through the final two games of the season. In the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Texas Tech, Polk also broke Mardye McDole's record for receiving yards in a single season. McDole recorded 1,035 yards nearly 45 years ago, so for the young transfer to break it during his first season with the program was incredibly impressive. 

Before transferring to Mississippi State, Polk was not used to his full potential. As a freshman at Cal, he played in eight games and totaled 19 receptions for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Polk became more explosive as the season went on, and it seemed as if he would become more of a factor the following season. Unfortunately, that was not the case. During the altered 2020 season, the sophomore appeared in only four games and accounted for 183 yards and one touchdown on 17 total receptions. When Mike Leach and the Air Raid offense came calling, there was only one place for Polk to go-- it ended up being the best decision of his young career.

Polk might not have as many awards and accolades as some other draft prospects, but his resume is nothing to overlook. Although he will be missed in Starkville, any NFL team that picks him up will be lucky to have him.