After just two seasons with the Bears, sophomore receiver Makai Polk entered the transfer portal despite a breakout 2020 season.

Should Polk decide to transfer, his presence will be sorely missed. Polk ranked behind only Kekoa Crawford in receiving yards this season, racking up 183 yards and a touchdown over the season’s four games. He had multiple receptions in every contest this season and, between the end of the 2019 season and now, emerged as a deep target for quarterback Chase Garbers.

Polk had the Bears’ longest reception of the season, a 52-yard bomb against Oregon State, and filled out his lanky, 6’3” frame over the offseason to become a bigger, more physical threat on the outside. That came after a career-best 105-yard performance at the 2019 Redbox Bowl to end his freshman season.

The Bay Area local was emerging as one of Cal’s key targets for years to come, though his departure is not assured — he can still remove himself from the transfer portal and return to Memorial Stadium. Receiver Jeremiah Hawkins and running back DeShawn Collins have also entered the transfer portal. However, Polk is the first nonsenior to do so.

Polk would be an integral piece within Cal’s 2021 offensive core, but the Bears currently have a plethora of talented, young wideouts in and around Memorial Stadium. Freshman Jeremiah Hunter redshirted the 2020 season but has received plenty of buzz, while J. Michael Sturdivant and Mavin Anderson were two four-star recruits in the recruiting class of 2021 who could have an immediate impact.