Illinois Football: Tommy DeVito surpassing some big NFL names

The Tommy DeVito sensation is real, and as an Illinois football fan, it is exciting to see the kid do so well in the NFL.

There were a lot of people who didn’t think DeVito would amount to much at the next level. Syracuse threw him to the curb, and now their fans are trying to claim him as their own. Yeah, okay, someone you bench and then jettison into the transfer portal should never be able to be claimed by a fanbase.

DeVito found a nice soft landing spot with the Illini. Honestly, I thought he could be an okay quarterback at the next level. Did I think starter? No, I don’t think anyone besides Tommy and the DeVito family thought that. But DeVito was always an accurate quarterback, which is huge in the NFL. Setting the Illinois single-season completion percentage record was impressive, so why couldn’t he do it at the next level?

I am enjoying DeVito mania right now. He has started in four games and has gone 3-1 for one of the biggest, loudest, and proudest fanbases in the NFL in the New York Giants. That alone is incredible.

DeVito’s stats are quite impressive as well. His completion percentage of 65.9% currently ranks No. 14 in the NFL. That is a better percentage than some big names like Justin Herbert, CJ Stroud, and Matthew Stafford.

In just four starts, DeVito has eight touchdown passes. That is as many or more than players like Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, and Kyler Murray. He is just one touchdown shy of Bryce Young, who has started 12 games this season.

And one more thing to note. Buckle up Giants fans. DeVito’s 3-1 record has the G-Men in the playoff hunt. New York is just one game back of the playoffs at 5-8.

Seeing an Illinois football quarterback in the NFL is something that has been rare over the past 20 years

DeVito is flinging the ball around and leading the Giants to some big wins coming down the stretch. If you are an Illini fan, this is a rare sight. In fact, if you are in college, it is something you have never seen before.

Kurt Kittner was the last Illinois quarterback to throw a pass in the NFL. Already, he has been passed by DeVito. In Kittner’s best NFL season, and only one for that matter, he threw for 391 yards, two touchdowns, and only had one win.

The quarterback before Kittner was Jeff George. He had one of the best careers in the NFL by an Illinois quarterback. George’s best season came in 1997 when he threw for 3,917 yards and 29 touchdowns.

I will be enjoying the DeVito mania as long as it lasts. This kid is doing something special at the highest level of the game. Not only has he given some hope to the New York fanbase, but he has given an entire college fanbase a rooting interest in the Giants as well.