Illinois Coach Bret Bielema Tabs Tommy DeVito As Starting Quarterback

Until Thursday, the identity of Illinois' starting quarterback for Saturday's opener against Wyoming was an unknown among those outside Bret Bielema's program. Would it be Tommy DeVito or Art Sitkowski?

Naturally, the quarterback position attracts the most attention especially when the situation is an unsettled one. That was the case with Illinois heading into spring drills and then preseason camp. 

While coach Bret Bielema knew who would trot out to the huddle for his team’s first offensive series in Saturday’s opener (BTN, 3 PM CT) against visiting Wyoming, he did not tip his hand. At least until Thursday.

“I know who the starting quarterback is, the starting QB knows who the starting quarterback is and our team knows that,” he said during his weekly press conference. 

llinois Fighting Illini quarterback Artur Sitkowski (9) runs with the ball past Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Jesse Luketa (40) during the first half at Beaver Stadium. (Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)

Now Fighting Illini fans know who will be their quarterback. The faithful will get their first look at Syracuse transfer and sixth-year senior Tommy DeVito. 

"Tommy's has had an incredible fall camp," said Bielema.

Art Sitkowski was also in the running. The fifth-year junior started three games for Illinois last season and was forced into action when Brandon Peters was injured in a season-opening win over Nebraska. Sitkowski, though, suffered shoulder and wrist injuries that ended his season before the calendar flipped to November.

"I would say Art has played as good a football as we've been around him here," said Bielema. "The surgery he had and the rehab he had, and all the things the doctors and trainers did, have put him in a great position."

Both quarterbacks are from New Jersey and grew up 40 miles from each other.

“They get along extremely well,” said Bielema, whose team travels to Bloomington for next Saturday's season opener for the Hoosiers. “To watch their interaction during practice and to see and hear them compete is awesome. I would say both of them are playing as good a football today as I have ever seen either of them play.”

DeVito arrived in Champaign in January after five years at Syracuse, where he started 11 games for Dino Babers in 2019 (19 TDs, 5 INTs). Injuries, however, limited him to seven starts the past two seasons. Still, he got all of the first-team reps in the spring while Sitkowski was still recovering. 

Syracuse Orange quarterback Tommy DeVito (13) warms up before playing the Pittsburgh Panthers at Heinz Field. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Sitkowski completed only half of his 148 pass attempts last season and averaged less than 10 yards per pass completion. While that was not all on him, he has shown an inability to get the ball downfield throughout his career. Hence, Bielema needed to turn to the portal to bring in a veteran quarterback. 

The Fighting Illini are looking to halt a string of 10 consecutive losing seasons. DeVito is now that face of a team attempting to turn things around starting against a tough Mountain West program at Memorial Stadium. 

While Bielema expressed his respect for Cowboys coach Craig Bohl, who won three consecutive national championships with FCS member North Dakota State before arriving in Laramie in 2014, he is feeling pretty good about his squad as the days and hours tick away toward kickoff. 

Sure, college football coaches heading into a new season sound much like baseball managers in spring training when optimism is at its heights. After a 5-7 season in his first year guiding the Fighting Illinois, maybe – maybe – things are finally heading in the right direction in Champaign. 

“I've been doing this for quite a while as a head coach,” he said. “I'm going into my 14th year, and to just see what I've seen happen from last fall when we got done, through the portal process, through spring ball, through fall camp, and now getting into game week, there hasn't been a time where I've been more excited. I'm talking after a Big Ten Championship and projections to win one. This group of guys is very special and I think it's going to be one of those types of years.”