Illinois Names Former ACC Player Starting QB

Published|Updated

Illinois will ride with Tommy DeVito under center to start the season.

The Fighting Illini announced Thursday afternoon that the former Syracuse player secured the starting quarterback job in Champaign.

Illinois opens the season Saturday afternoon against Wyoming.

DeVito had been battling Artur Sitkowski for the starting job, and clearly did enough to get the nod from head coach Bret Bielema.

Before leaving the Orange, DeVito threw for 3,866 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his four seasons with the program.

He also rushed for four touchdowns and 218 yards.

Tommy DeVito had his most successful season in 2019 when he tossed for 2,360 yards, 19 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions.

However, the past two years, he combined for a grand total of five touchdowns, four interceptions and threw for under 1,000 yards.

Brett Bielema names Tommy DeVito starting QB. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

His play dropped off in a big way, and Bret Bielema needs him to find his old form. Bielema went 5-7 last season with the Fighting Illini, and his squad will likely be underdogs in at least half their games this season.

Tommy DeVito will start at QB for the Illinois Fighting Illini. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If the team has any hope of exceeding expectations, they need solid QB play and that starts with Devito.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.