Smith-Wade is from Denver, Colorado and attended high school at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago.
Coming out of high school, Smith-Wade initially committed to play for the Wyoming Cowboys.
[1] However, Smith-Wade would de-commit and decide to flip his commitment to play college football for the Washington State Cougars.
[2][3] In Smith-Wade's first collegiate season in 2020, he tallied eight tackles with one being for a loss, and a pass deflection, in just two games played.
[6] Smith-Wade finished the 2023 season with 36 tackles and six pass deflections while missing five games with an injury.