Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse coach Dino Babers said Tommy DeVito’s experience and knowledge of the offense gives him an edge over Garrett Shrader heading into fall practice next month.
The two quarterbacks will compete for the starting job ahead of SU’s season opener at Ohio on Sept. 4.
Syracuse is scheduled to open training camp Aug. 6.
“I think if you’re talking about who knows the offense better, it’s definitely DeVito,” Babers told syracuse.com.
“I think what we need to do is be fair and continue to let those guys grow. They both have a set of tools that’s unique to each one, and then there’s a combination where they both can do the exact same thing.
“We’re going to have to see how it settles, but I would say he has an advantage because he’s been here longer.”
Who Babers selects as his starting quarterback will be a defining storyline in the head coach’s sixth season.
DeVito, who has started 15 games over the past two seasons, showcased his arm and accuracy behind an offensive line that finally gave him some protection this spring. No school has allowed more sacks than Syracuse over the last two seasons.
Shrader, a transfer from Mississippi State, has legs to be reckoned with when escaping the pocket. His addition gives Syracuse a running quarterback who can create and extend plays when protection breaks down.
Syracuse is 5-10 with DeVito as the starting quarterback but has gone just 1-7 in games started by his backups over the past two seasons, including dropping all seven after DeVito suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Duke on Oct. 10.
Syracuse last had its opening-week starting quarterback finish the season healthy in 2018 with senior Eric Dungey. DeVito was called on to spell Dungey in eight games that year and sparked second-half surges in wins against Florida State and North Carolina.
It’s the most vivid example in recent history of the importance of Syracuse having multiple quarterbacks who can win games.
“The interesting thing about the 10-3 year is that we used both,” Babers said. “We talk about that being the Dungey year — it was a good year by Dungey — but two of those big games, when the game was over, he wasn’t at quarterback, and it was actually three if you include the Notre Dame game.”
“You need to be able to start and finish the season with the guy that runs out there first, and then if you’ve got a guy who’s good enough to be a reliever, and you’ve got two quarterbacks, it normally saves you a situation where maybe, OK, you lose your starting quarterback and you shouldn’t win the game.
“Well, if you’ve got a really, really good guy backing him up and you’ve still got a chance to win the game, that’s going to really fudge your bets on some things.
“I think about Tommy coming in on the two situations he came in on Dungey. He came out and put some points on the board, and he won some high-scoring games.”
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