Tommy DeVito jumped into the Transfer Portal after some hard knocks at Syracuse.

He had his moments for the Orange, but his four years there were marked by injuries and sacks. A lot of sacks.

DeVito enrolled at Illinois in January and went through spring ball under new offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. His journey has taken a positive turn, and DeVito is making the most of his second chance.

He’s improved steadily over the course of the season as he gains more command over the offense, and played a major role on Saturday when the Illini posted a dominant 34-10 win at Wisconsin

“He’s really gotten better and better each week, gotten more and more comfortable,” Lunney said. “He’s been playing his best football.”

DeVito didn’t set the world on fire against the Badgers but he was efficient and made good decisions with the football.

He also scored three touchdowns rushing, all on quarterback sneaks, to help lead the Illinois to its first win at Camp Randall Stadium since 2002.

For the game, DeVito completed 18 of 24 on passes for 167 yards and a 133.5 passing efficiency rating.

“Tommy just continues to impress me, just his diligence, his work ethic,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “He's got a very live arm. He's very accurate, very conscientious.”

There’s room for improvement. Heading into a big home game against Iowa on Saturday, DeVito ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (148.29).

Still, he’s trending in the right direction and has put subpar games from early in the season behind him. In the previous game against FCS opponent Chattanooga, DeVito topped 300 yards passing and tossed three TD’s

It’s been a total-team effort to get the passing game off the ground, A big part of that has been Lunney getting more accustomed to the players, and vice versa. DeVito said the all-important relationship he has with Lunney is starting to produce.

“Just coach Lunney being on me,” he said. “It’s the style of the offense too, really just letting it flourish.”

Illinois hasn’t exactly been known for its passing attack in recent years. With the hiring of Bret Bielema and his reputation for the power running game, it didn’t appear much would change.

In 2021, quarterbacks Brandon Peters and Art Sitkowski combined for just 1,874 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Bielema obviously wasn’t happy with the direction of the offense, and he set out to change the narrative, cutting Tony Peterson lose and hiring Lunney away from UTSA. He then when back to Portal to scoop up DeVito.

“I think we gave him a rebirth on life and football,” Bielema said about DeVito. “I don't know how much he enjoyed the last couple of years there, but he has a lot of fun in our room.”

With the passing game ramping up, it appears that Lunney and DeVito are a good match.

The Illini set out to be more balanced on offense and that plan is coming into place For the season, DeVito has passed for 1,121 yards and the Illini have rushed for 973 yards, led by Chase Brown.

“DeVito and Barry really have a special relationship,” Bret Bielema said.

As the coach and the QB learn more about each other, the scheme, and what their strengths and weaknesses are, they’re become more difficult for opposing defenses to scout and scheme for.

In the last two weeks, Lunney has added new wrinkles, like bringing out the RPO’s and the screen game. The result has been more opportunities for DeVito to stretch the field. Against Wisconsin, he connected over the top to Brian Hightower for a 35-yard gain.

The entire playbook is now available. DeVito has gone through spring ball, fall training camp, and five games in the system. Lunney’s trust in him to make the right decisions under fire has grown exponentially.

“When you have the ball in your hands as many times as he does, there's 40, 50, or 60, decisions made over the course of the game,” Lunney said. “He’s going to make mistakes naturally because of that, but shoot, I would be making them too if I was out there.”

There were hiccups in the second half against Virginia and Chattanooga and the offense bogged down. In those weeks three and four games, the Illini scored a combined 45 points in the first half and just 10 points in the second half.

It was different against Wisconsin. The Illini slammed the door shut in the third quarter with 17 points and 167 total yards, while the defense held the Badgers to only ten total yards in the quarter.

"I thought our offense and Barry Lunney had a plan,” Bret Bielema said. “We knew they're a good team. I told our guys we always talk about maximizing our opportunities.”

Coaches love quarterbacks who are confident and verbal leaders on and off the field. DeVito fits that profile.

“Tommy’s done a really good job at building relationships in the team,” Bielema said. “He just has bought into what we’ve been selling him and what we’ve been preaching to him since he’s got here, and every week he’s just continued to get better.”

That side of DeVito’s personality was evident when he arrived on campus in the spring. As he’s gotten to know the rest of the team, the connections he’s made are a big part of the success he’s now finding on the field.

Sophomore wide receiver Pat Bryant talked about his relationship with DeVito after his breakout game against Chattanooga when he had a career high 112 yards receiving.

“We go out to eat, talk and watch football together,” Bryant said. “It plays a big role in our relationship."

So, DeVito has a new lease on life at Illinois and he’s making the most of it, reviving his college football career and having a ton of fun in the process.

“I think we gave him a rebirth on life and football,” Bielema said. “I don't know how much he enjoyed the last couple of years there, but he has a lot of fun in our room.”