He is a native of Ohio who attended Howland High School near Warren, Ohio.
He was the leading rusher on both the 2014 (519 rushing yards) and 2015 Michigan Wolverines football teams (753 rushing yards). He set the career rushing record for Trumbull County, Ohio, with 6,750 rushing yards at Howland High School. He was a finalist for Ohio's "Mr.
Football" award.
In March 2012, prior to his senior year in high school, Smith announced that he had committed to play college football for the As a freshman in 2013, Smith appeared in 12 games and carried the ball 26 times for 117 yards, an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Prior to the start of the 2014 season, Smith was in competition with Derrick Green to become the Wolverines' starter at running back. In the opening game of the 2014 season, Smith carried the ball eight times for 115 yards, an average of 14.4 yards per carry.
He also scored two touchdowns and had a run of 61 yards. Derrick Green also rushed for 170 yards in the game, as Smith and Green became the first pair of Michigan running backs to rush for over 100 yards in the same game since 2007. Smith and the other Michigan backs also set a new Michigan single-game record with 9.7 yards per carry (350 yards on 36 carries).
During the 2015 season, Smith was Michigan's leading rusher with 753 yards and six touchdowns on 180 carries (42 yards per carry).