#6Zhaiel Smith

WR·New Mexico·2025

Zhaiel Smith is a Versatile WR for New Mexico.

What projects, and what doesn't · WRs · held out 2019-2025

How well one season predicts the next, measured on seasons the model never trained on. 1.00 would be perfectly predictable; 0.00 means last year told us nothing.

Usage share (volume)0.47
Beats guessing the WR average by 16%. n=6,302 WR seasons
EPA per play (efficiency)0.09
Not projectable — we do not forecast this. n=5,767 WR seasons
Total EPA (value)0.45
Beats guessing the WR average by 12%. n=5,767 WR seasons

Across all positions, usage carries year to year at 0.47 and efficiency at 0.07. So Zhaiel Smith's projection is a projection of opportunity — how much of the offense he runs through. How well he converts it is something this model does not claim to know a year in advance, and the number above is why.

2025 Production

Receiving

9 Receptions112 Rec yards0 Rec TD12.4 Yards/rec

Performance Analysis · 2025 · vs WR peers

Efficiency67
Volume9
Explosiveness36
Consistency51
Pass-Down100

Player type

Versatile WR

Balanced profile without a single dominant trait — contributes across multiple dimensions.

Balanced usageMulti-role

Peer percentiles

Opponent-adjusted EPA (WEPA/play)67th %ile · average

Game-to-game consistency51th %ile · average

Key findings

▸Limited usage share suggests a rotational or specialist role.
▸3 high-impact games (EPA/play > 0.4) this season — elite ceiling.
▸Particularly dangerous on passing downs — efficiency spikes in obvious pass situations.
▸Strong second-half surge — EPA/play improved 0.79 from the first to second half of the season.
▸Peak game: 1.03 EPA/play in Wk 14 vs San Diego State (SP+ 7).

NIL Market Tier· 2025

On3 valuation ↗

Starter

Meaningful starter. Local collective + position-group deals.

Tier is a model estimate based on position, school brand, performance rank, and usage — not a reported deal. NIL deals are private. For a real market valuation, see On3's NIL profile, which factors in social following and actual deal tracking.

Historical Comparables · WR · efficiency + volume + value

Players from 2013–2025 matched on EPA efficiency, play volume, and adjusted value tier — not just one metric.

Player	Team	Yr	Plays	WEPA/play	Line val	Total EPA
Amare Jones	Tulane	2020	71	0.180	0.0	12.8
Brandon Chatman	Navy	2025	52	0.230	0.6	12.0
Tyler Buchner	Notre Dame	2021	51	0.250	0.3	12.8
Justin Lynch	Temple	2021	63	0.240	0.3	15.1
Amare Jones	Tulane	2019	58	0.230	0.8	13.3

Comps are statistical — efficiency, volume, and value tier all factor in. Style and conference context differ.

Game Log · box score + EPA, week by week

EPA per play · x-axis: weekabove 0 = added points · below = lost

Wk	Opponent	Result	Opp SP+	Rec	Rec Yds	Avg	Long	EPA/play
1	@Michigan	L17-34	12.4	1	9	9.0	9	-0.10
2	vsIdaho State	W32-22	—	2	17	8.5	11	0.02
3	@UCLA	W35-10	-8.7	1	15	15.0	15	-0.24
5	vsNew Mexico State	W38-20	-15.5	1	0	0.0	0	-0.17
6	@San José State	L28-35	-14.3	1	10	10.0	10	0.81
9	vsUtah State	W33-14	-3.1	1	6	6.0	6	0.39
12	vsColorado State	W20-17	-15.6	1	43	43.0	43	0.44
14	vsSan Diego State	W23-17	6.7	1	12	12.0	12	1.03

Usage & Situational · Pro

Snap-share proxy

Overall

3.3%

Passing plays

6.7%

Rushing plays

0.3%

Standard downs

3.0%

Passing downs

4.1%

EPA by down type

Standard downs: -0.03
Passing downs: 0.47
Pass / Rush EPA: 0.22 / -1.05

Usage = share of team plays (CFBD has no true snap counts).