Zhaiel Smith holds the WR-SL · Starter spot in New Mexico Lobos’s wide receiver room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Zhaiel Smith logged a 3.7% overall usage rate in 2025.

Zhaiel Smith is a 5'11", 188-pound wide receiver from Portland, Oregon, who attended both Central Catholic and Tualatin High School. At Tualatin, he was a four-year starter named First Team All-State as a wide receiver and safety in 2024, earning unanimous First Team All-TRL honors at receiver and safety. He lettered at both schools and helped Central Catholic to 6A state titles in 2021 and 2023. Smith played in 12 games as a freshman in 2025, starting six, and recorded 9 receptions for 112 yards with a long of 43 yards. His longest reception came against Colorado State, while his only multi-catch performance came against Idaho State.

New Mexico2025 — present