Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse backup quarterback Tommy DeVito said on Sunday night that he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which will allow him to pursue college football at another school.
DeVito made the announcement on Twitter, thanking the school and his teammates. He did not mention the coaching staff in his message.
He lost his job as the starting quarterback at Syracuse to Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader heading into the fourth game of the season, finding out about his demotion hours before the Orange was set to play Liberty. He has not played in SU’s past four contests.
DeVito had expressed confidence throughout training camp and early this season that he had done enough to maintain the starting job, which he had held whenever he was healthy during the previous two years.
Since naming Garrett Shrader the team’s starter the Syracuse offense has performed better than it had early in the season under DeVito, helping make the shift permanent.
After losing the job, DeVito initially said that he was trying to utilize former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts as a role model and accept a backup spot, hoping for an opportunity to make a big play for Syracuse at some point.
Based on Sunday’s announcement, it appears to be an idea he has surrendered.
DeVito is the highest-ranked recruit that head coach Dino Babers has signed at Syracuse and was his first marquee recruit, ranked among the 350 best prospects in the Class of 2017 by 247 Sports. DeVito was a member of the Elite 11 quarterback competition in 2016, known as an event for the top quarterback prospects in the country.
When he arrived at SU, DeVito seemed destined to inherit a pass-friendly, up-tempo system at Syracuse under Babers, continuing the success started by Eric Dungey.
The team, however, has struggled when DeVito has been the starter, going 8-11 during games he played over the past three years. DeVito’s time leading the offense included struggles with poor offensive line play and injury absences, particularly last year, when the team was forced to transition fullback Chris Elmore onto the line at the start of the season.
Those challenges put DeVito, who is a pass-first quarterback, in a difficult situation and the full-time pairing was never successful.
The offense has looked much better since Shrader took over the job earlier this month. The Mississippi State transfer has provided running ability and the strength to break tackles when opponents do beat SU’s offensive line, giving the Orange a second legitimate threat alongside Sean Tucker.
DeVito will leave Syracuse having thrown 28 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions over parts of four seasons.
The loss of DeVito does leave Syracuse without an experienced backup quarterback and without its best pure thrower at the position, a potential issue if SU finds itself in position to need a big comeback. While the team has functioned better with Shrader as its primary quarterback, passing is not his strength.
Without DeVito, Syracuse’s top options at backup likely include Jacobian Morgan, Dillon Markiewicz and Justin Lamson. Morgan played in four games last year, all losses, and has played once this year.
Markiewicz played in one game last season and Lamson enrolled in the school in February. Neither has played this season.
DeVito is among a group of players that have left the team since training camp, a group that includes leading receiver Taj Harris, potential starting safety Ben LaBrosse, backup running back Jarveon Howad, backup offensive lineman Cody Shear and freshman tight end Landon Morris.
The departures rank among the most in the Power-Five since the season began.
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