Former North Platte standout Vince Genatone ‘excited’ for chance with Huskers
Vince Genatone, who hails from North Platte, will be making a comeback to Nebraska to join the Huskers football team next season. Genatone, recognized as North Platte’s second-ever Omaha World-Herald Boys Athlete of the Year, shared his transfer decision to Nebraska via a post on X on Today.
Genatone spent two seasons at Montana. He redshirted his first season and only recorded one tackle on special teams this past season in 2023.
The former Bulldog heard from the University of Nebraska almost immediately after he entered the transfer portal.
A few days later, Genatone announced he’s now a Husker.
“I’m looking forward to building relationships and getting the opportunity to earn a spot on the team,” Genatone said. “Coach (Matt) Rhule and his staff are well known for developing their players, so I’m excited to see how they can develop me.”
Genatone accomplished a lot at North Platte in his two years at the school. In football, he rushed for 911 yards on offense and led the Bulldogs with 136 tackles on defense.
In wrestling, he was a two-time Class A state champion, at 195 his junior year and at 220 his senior year.
In track and field, he finished third in the 100-meter dash at state. The two athletes that beat him, Jaylen Lloyd and Malachi Coleman, are current Husker wide receivers.
“It’s really cool to be a part of such an athletic group of guys,” Genatone said of now being teammates with Lloyd and Coleman. “You don’t see very often three guys that are neck-and-neck in district and state. It’s pretty cool. It’s coming full circle.”
It’s been two years since Genatone was a Bulldogs player, but he credits the community for always supporting him. When his family moved to North Platte in 2020, he started going to Enzo Athletic Performance to work with owner/coach Jason Jensen on speed and strength.
“Even in high school, the community is all in on the athletes here,” Genatone said. “To see their support with me coming back is pretty cool.”
According to an Omaha World-Herald story, Genatone will be a preferred walk-on at Nebraska. Genatone attended camps at Nebraska and garnered a one-on-one workout with coaches, but he wasn’t offered a scholarship. He chose Montana over South Dakota State and a walk-on opportunity at Nebraska.
“Genatone expressed that he believes in divine plans, mentioning how he felt called to be in Montana initially. However, with the door closing there, he sees his move to Nebraska as a new opportunity to showcase his abilities.”