Illini in the NFL: Has Tommy DeVito found a home in New York?

Quarterback Tommy DeVito has shinned in his short time with the Giants.

The Pro Illini series is all about Illini athletes that have made it to the professional ranks. Because football season is upon us, Pro Illini will initially focus on Illini football. The Fighting Illini currently have 29 players in the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, and Washington Commanders have three Illini players on their rosters. The Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and New York Jets have two.

The first series will take a look at NFL rookies. This article features quarterback Tommy DeVito.

Syracuse transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito was a revelation for Illini football in 2022. DeVito threw 15 touchdowns last year. While that might not seem like a lot, Brandon Peters and Artur Sitkowski threw 13 combined in 2021. Suffice it to say that he was an upgrade. DeVito was a highly-touted high school recruit from Don Bosco High School in New Jersey. Maryland, Boston College, and Wake Forest were schools on his radar before he chose Syracuse.

DeVito has impressed early in training camp.

DeVito transferred to Illinois after a tumultuous career at Syracuse. He went from being an under-the-radar signee to one of the better transfers of 2022. The New Jersey native gave the quarterback position consistency and some much-needed juice behind center. DeVito threw for over 2,600 yards while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

Though he had a solid season at Illinois — DeVito was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection — every NFL team passed on him in the draft. After the draft, the New York Giants signed DeVito as an undrafted free agent. DeVito was impressive in his first preseason game for the Giants. He completed nine passes for 88 yards. Most importantly, he did not throw any interceptions. While veteran Tyrod Taylor is the leading candidate to back up Daniel Jones, DeVito could secure a roster spot with continued solid play in games and training camp.