Gridiron Feature: Jaden Smith

By Mark Brunner

Given what UTEP football senior wide receiver Jaden Smith has endured since arriving in the Sun City in 2024, no one could blame him if he had chosen to have a bad attitude or to simply hang up his cleats completely.

For those unfamiliar with Smith's plight, it began not even halfway through his 2024 campaign, when he sustained a season-ending knee injury in practice. At the time he went down, he had hauled in 21 passes and looked every bit the role of a true No. 1 wideout.

Rather than hang his head, Smith got to work immediately, intent on coming back stronger than ever. Then, during an offseason OTA in the summer, his knee betrayed him again, and just like that, before it…