Jayvon Funnye is one of a kind.
If such records were kept, Funnye (pronounced FUN-YAY) could possibly be standing alone in this category because one would be hard-pressed to find someone like the Lake Howell student-athlete.
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It’s not likely that many people have a GPA that is higher than their 40-yard-dash time, but Funnye does. He holds a GPA of 4.5 and runs the 40 in 4.45 seconds.
He finds time to juggle football and academics and does so in impressive fashion. One of Lake Howell’s top receivers heading into the 2026 season, the senior is eyeing 1,000 yards in the fall. He recently committed to Columbia, and he’ll take his intelligence and football skills to the Ivy League.
“I’m very excited. Yeah, in the Ivy League, I liked the internship programs and all of the opportunities they have and to get that degree,” Funnye said. “I love the campus and all of that, and it was a great choice.”
Funnye said he fell in love with the New York City school during his visit in April.
“I just really like the coaches. It’s a young coaching staff and they are really energetic,” Funnye said of 41-year-old head coach Jon Poppe and his staff. “It’s a fairly new coaching staff, 2024, and since then they have been putting money into the facilities and the program. I can really see the vision they have.
“Also I love New York City and the location. I thought the team culture was awesome. I could see how close they were with one another and it reminded me of my own team here at Lake Howell.”
So, how does a person get a 4.5 GPA? Most people see 4.0 as the GPA threshold, and most of us don’t hover around that plateau. Funnye, however, is an obvious overachiever.
“Just staying on top work and challenging myself with AP courses and honors courses all throughout high school and taking some summer classes, as well, trying to get ahead,” Funnye said. “Mainly it’s just not getting behind, because once you get behind, you are less motivated to catch up. And I have had great teachers, as well, throughout my high school career.”
He’s been academically motivated from a young age and had a great support system in his parents Jasmin and Michael Funnye.
“Ever since I was little, and that’s kind of set the standard, you know, growing up in elementary school and middle school, getting those good grades and then in high school it’s like you gotta maintain that. It’s an expectation you set for yourself,” Funnye said. “My mom and my dad were both very good in school. I’ve been playing sports my whole life, but both of them taught me to make sure my education is first and that comes before anything else.
“They have let me be very independent, and that’s what I like, but they’ve always been there like a resource for help if I need any assistance, which is really great. They’ve been super supportive.”
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He said it can be all grind and no fun at times.
“Sometimes it’s not always easy, you gotta stay up late some nights coming home from a hard practice or a long game,” Funnye said. “Some days might be hard, but taking a day off makes the next day harder. Definitely sometimes I gotta miss out on some things my friends might be doing, but my friends have been super supportive, as well.
“They understand (my studies) may be more important than what they may be doing.”
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At Lake Howell, Funnye, not the biggest guy on the field at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, fought through some injuries last season and missed three games as a junior. He did manage to catch 12 passes for 324 yards, for a whopping 27-yards-per-catch average, and he scored six touchdowns, for a 50% catches-to-touchdowns ratio. As a sophomore, he had a similar average of 24 yards per catch, hauling in 15 balls for 361 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s a big-play receiver.
This season could be special for the Silverhawks, who were 6-4 last year under second-year coach Dazzie Morris and just missed the playoffs, losing to rival Winter Springs 31-28 in the final regular-season game.
“It’s been really good, seeing the growth and going on year three with Coach Morris,” Funnye said. “Just seeing a lot of players in my class, the Class of ’27, stepping up as we become older and the captains on the team, and just seeing the players progress, the offensive scheme grow, the playbook grow. People are becoming more comfortable.”
Funnye and receiving compadre Devin Coleman have developed an arsenal with junior quarterback Brycen Marbrey, one of the bright, young quarterbacks of the future in Central Florida.
Marbrey began his high school career at Lake Mary, but returned to Lake Howell for his sophomore season a year ago.
“I’ve been playing with Brycen since seventh grade, Pop Warner, and we just get better every time we play,” Funnye said. “I think this third year will be exponentially better.”
Woodson commits to Michigan
Lake Nona senior cornerback Charles Woodson Jr., (6-foot, 175) has decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and committed to play at the University of Michigan. His father was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1997 at Michigan, the only primarily defensive player to win the award. He played both ways for the Wolverines at times from 1995-97 and spent 18 seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers.
Woodson Jr., has emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the state and is ranked No. 6 in the Sentinel’s 2027 Central Florida Super60. Last season he had 73 tackles, an average of six per game, and had two interceptions. He also plays offense at times. He had a pick-6 interception for a touchdown in the Lions’ playoff victory over St. Cloud, as well a 65-yard touchdown catch in that game.
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Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.