Illinois Football: Tommy DeVito re-defining the typical Illini quarterback

Tommy DeVito is exactly the quarterback the Illinois football team needed to get over the hump.

Surprisingly, the Illinois Fighting Illini (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) are one of the few programs that anyone expected to impress thus far, at least from a national perspective. But locally, it’s unsurprising to see the turnaround of a once-storied program making the Champaign community and Illini fanbase proud.

Heading into a critical week 5 road tilt against the Wisconsin Badgers (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten), all eyes will be on Tommy DeVito, the Syracuse graduate transfer who has helped change the tempo of the Illinois offense in just four starts with the team.

While running back Chase Brown continues to get all of the spotlight, recently becoming the first Illini player to record five consecutive 100-plus yard rushing performances, it’s DeVito that has quickly found his footing as Illinois’ signal caller.

But let’s back up a step. DeVito came to Illinois from a Syracuse team riddled with inconsistency, an offensive line that wouldn’t protect him enough to win games, and an injury bug. This all changed with the hiring of ex-University of Texas-San Antonio offensive coordinator, Barry Lunney Jr., who immediately set his sights on getting his quarterback.

Since DeVito’s arrival in Champaign, the offense has looked different than it did under the old regime of Tony Petersen from the 2021 season. Only a month into the 2022 campaign, DeVito has remained relatively consistent in leading the offense.

DeVito averages 237.8 passing yards per game while having tossed nine touchdowns. He has only thrown two interceptions thus far, playing mostly mistake-free football in the process. His best outing was a 31-0 shutout against Chattanooga, where DeVito only had eight incompletions and threw three touchdowns, with one of them going to rising star, Pat Bryant.

Illinois football head coach Bret Bielema returns to Wisconsin

For the first time in nearly a decade, head coach Bret Bielema makes his return to Wisconsin where he led the Badgers to several years of sustained success, including a Rose Bowl appearance and a win in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan State in 2011.

After stints in the NFL with the New York Giants and New England Patriots as an assistant, Bielema returned to his home state to revitalize the history and tradition that makes Illinois unique. Although a bowl appearance, nor a winning season, happened in year one, the 2022 season hopes to turn out much differently.

October 1, 2022, could be the start of a new era in the Big Ten West or a flashback to the days of yesteryear. Only time will tell.