Nick DeGennaro is the embodiment of committed and consistent.
Those are the first words that should come to mind when describing the former James Madison wide receiver after he caught a 5:55 AM flight from the American Bowl to the Shrine Bowl on the heels of receiving a last-minute invite from the Dallas-based pre-draft showcase.
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DeGennaro arrived to the American Bowl on a Saturday and then practiced the whole week before getting the call.
“I was there Tuesday night when I got the call saying I was going to come here (to Dallas) and I obviously accepted it,” DeGennaro told me. “We had had a wild week of practice (at the American Bowl) and then we played the game itself at 8 p.m. on Thursday and it ended at around midnight.”
From there, the wideout says he went to bed at 1:30 a.m., catching less than two hours of sleep before waking up to catch a 5:55 a.m. flight.
“Definitely am going to have to catch up on some sleep when it’s all said and done,” he laughed.
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Shrine Bowl Director of Football Operations and Player Personnel Eric Galko was excited to land DeGennaro, who he has had his eyes on for a while.
“Nick (DeGennaro) jumped at the opportunity to be at the Shrine Bowl. I’ve seen Nick play for a while now and have been a fan of him for a long time. We found him early in the process while the American Bowl was already going after him too.”
Galko says he waited for the right time to add DeGennaro to the showcase for ethical reasons, and it’s easy to see how it all worked out the way it should have.
“We had talked to his agent beforehand… one of the requirements that we have, which I think is ethical and right, is that these guys have to finish the American Bowl before coming to the Shrine Bowl,” Galko explained. “We’re not going to pull a guy from another showcase.”
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DeGennaro, who finished out the 2025 season with 28 catches for 500 yards with five touchdowns, is confident in what he brings to the NFL after playing six years of college football. What he can do has shone through on the tape and in the over 2,500 career receiving yards he racked up.
“Tangibly, I think I’m a really good route-runner and I’m fast,” he said. “I catch the ball really well and I know how to get to where I’m supposed to be when I’m supposed to be there, and that’s a pretty safe option for a quarterback.”
And DeGennaro has seen a lot throughout what has been a unique, anything but orthodox journey. The New Jersey native has seen a lot of different offenses and coaching styles between his time at The Hun School is high school, and Richmond, Maryland and JMU at the college level.
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“Once we decided we wanted to do this thing when I got to high school, it’s been insane ever since,” he said. “From Maryland and not being able to fit there and me not really being treated the greatest way, and to Richmond having an amazing time and having everything in front of you as far as rankings and bowl games and things like that and 2024 with getting hurt and then deciding to keep on playing instead of giving up.”
Despite all the different places he’s been and the different types of experiences he’s had, DeGennaro has always maintained who he is at his core.
“In the locker room, I think my teammates would describe me as someone who is very funny and says whatever he wants,” DeGennaro said. “As a player, someone who is very skillful who knows how to play football and plays with a lot of energy.”
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As he prepares to take his career to the next phase at the highest stage football has to offer, he’s grateful for the opportunity to get in front of scouts and show more of what he can do as more of an under-the-radar prospect.
DeGennaro feels like he’s just one of many hidden gems — and not all of them have the opportunity to get noticed in the ways that they feel they deserve to be noticed, in his opinion. The current college football landscape does not always allow for that, and there’s a lot of controversy about just what ‘fair’ actually means anymore.
“Outside of the hype that these (showcases) bring, I don’t think there’s necessarily anything left that I’m specifically trying to prove,” DeGennaro said. “There are a lot of guys who don’t get seen, wherever they may be. And then you come to these bowl games, and people think you’re better because you’re at these bowl games. But, there may be guys sitting on the couch who are even better than some of those who may be at showcase games.”
It’s just the nature of the beast, says DeGennaro.
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“That’s just how it is. I’m grateful to be here… you’ve got to ride that wave in order to get noticed.”
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: JMU’s Nick DeGennaro embodies commitment, consistency at Shrine Bowl
