Preseason Football Interview with 4-Star 2020 WR Lavon “LV” Bunkley-Shelton
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
There are a lot of unique athletes in California’s 2020 recruiting class poised for a big 2018 season, Lavon “LV” Bunkley-Shelton is one of the few that could truly separate himself from the pack with his quickness and play-making abilities on the field. Without question, by the end of the season, Bunkley (6-0, 180) will have proven himself as a top talent going up against some of California’s best teams.
Bunkley took advantage of his opportunities with Junipero Serra (Gardena) during his sophomore season moving the chains and finding the end zone. Among a crowded roster with skill talent, Bunkley carved his knitch hauling in 24 passes for 254 yards with four scores going up on the board. Serra arguably has one of the tougher schedules in the Golden State during the 2018 season playing Serra (San Mateo), Cathedral Catholic, Long Beach Poly, Narbonne, Cathedral, Notre Dame, Bishop Amat, Alemany, Chaminade, and Loyola. The Cavaliers will be battle tested come playoff time and Bunkley will have all the opportunities in the world to further escalate his four-star status and 11 scholarship offers. Expect early offers from Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, TCU, Nevada, Colorado State, BYU, Arizona State, and Utah to gather more company with other Power Five Conference programs taking notice before season’s end.
In a Recruiting News Guru preseason sit down, I got a few minutes with Bunkley covering his offseason workouts, fall camp, and received an update on his path along the recruiting trail.
Interview
LV, you have a lot quickness and speed to your game as a receiver, what are some of the other strengths of your game?
“I have been working on my reaction time and reading coverages, those are strengths I wanted to improve upon.”
What else did you work on this offseason with your skillset?
“My reaction time, my QB and I, we worked on our timing routes, turning my head around and reacting, and my hand-placement for the ball.”
Did you get a chance to run a 40-yard dash or a shuttle drill at a camp this summer?
“I didn’t run a 40, but my shuttle was a 4.03, I think. I don’t remember.”
Did you play 7v7 ball this spring?
“Yes. With Ground Zero.”
How did that help improve your overall game as a receiver?
“It helped me with finding holes in coverages, finding open spots. I worked on all the little stuff this offseason.”
Are you going to play any defense in 2018?
“Yes. My coach has me playing all over the field, nickel, corner and safety just in case someone goes down.”
Did you go to any college camps this summer?
“Yes. I went to the USC Rising Stars camp and the Saturday Night Live Camp in Oregon.”
Of the two, which was your best camp performance?
“My best performance was the SC one. Usually coaches don’t think I can catch the deep ball and out run people, but I showed that I could at that camp. I did well on the defensive side there too. At Oregon, I did not do as well on the defensive side. I kept making little mistakes.”
Which schools are showing recruiting interest in you?
“USC, UCLA, and San Diego State.”
How many offers do you have now?
“I have 11 offers.”
Which schools were the last couple to offer you?
“The last two schools were Colorado State and Michigan.”
Do you plan on taking any visits during the 2018 season?
“Yes. Hopefully, I will get to go to Utah, Florida, Michigan, BYU, Arizona, and Arizona State.”
You are going to be a busy man.
“Yes, sir.”
The Cavaliers open the 2018 season on Aug. 25 against Serra (San Mateo), are you guys ready to start beating up on other people instead of each other?
“We’ve been focusing on us lately. We have a young team, but we will be ready. I believe we will go 10-0 with this team. We are not preparing ahead for the season yet.”
Going down the list of teams you guys play this year, every team the Cavs play is tough. Are there any games a little bit above the others you are excited to play?
“I am excited to play Narbonne, they were the opponents in my first varsity game.”
What are you goals for the 2018 season?
“To beat Robert Woods’ (USC – LA Rams) school record.”
LV, thanks for your time today and good luck with the upcoming season.
“Thank you.”
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Photo credit: Bunkley family; LV Bunkley at Oregon April 2018