SHELBY — Brayden DeVito has neither the time nor an overwhelming desire to concern himself with things outside of his control.
Instead, Shelby’s record-setting senior quarterback focuses on those things within his power.
The Whippets are 3-0 thanks in no small part to DeVito. The four-year starter has completed 34-of-46 passes for 599 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s rushed for another 323 yards and five TDs on 26 carries.
Shelby hammered Bellevue 49-6 last week as DeVito joined one of Ohio high school football’s most exclusive clubs. He completed 13-of-17 passes for 252 yards, becoming just the 17th quarterback in state history to top the 10,000-yard plateau. Unofficially, he has 10,244 passing yards.
Before the season is over, DeVito will likely find himself in the top five in state history in passing yardage. He already has surpassed such luminaries as current Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (9,103) and Buffalo Bills backup QB Mitch Trubisky (9,126). The Whippets standout will likely pull ahead of former Heisman Trophy winner and current Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Joe Burrow (11,428) before season’s end.
But the Power Four programs that recruited Allar, Trubisky and Burrow passed on DeVito. Instead, he will play for Air Force of the Mountain West Conference.
Why would one of the most prolific passers in Ohio high school football’s long and storied history not draw more attention from college football’s blue-bloods?
It comes down to mere inches.
DeVito is listed at 5-foot-11. The average height of a Power Four quarterback is 6-foot-2.
If he was three inches taller, every major-college program in the country would be beating down DeVito’s door.
“When I was younger it bothered me that people would say I was too small to play quarterback,” DeVito said. “I have no control over it, so I don’t let it get to me now.
“How much more would I be able to do if I was three inches taller? How much difference would it make?”
Several major college programs inquired about DeVito, but most recruiters saw a position change in his future. Shelby coach Rob Mahaney wasn’t sure why.
“What I think is crazy is colleges would come in to recruit him and they would say, ‘We could see him as a receiver,’ ” Mahaney said. “I asked myself why. He’s thrown for more than 9,500 yards in three years.
“It’s always been his dream to play Division I football. And not only that, but to continue to play quarterback.”
The Air Force Academy gave him the chance. Air Force was the last of the three FBS service academies to offer DeVito a scholarship, extending an invitation in March.
An honor student with a weighted 4.2 GPA, DeVito was heavily recruited by the Ivy League schools. He also had offers from Kent State and Youngstown State.
The more DeVito learned about the Air Force, the more he liked — much to his own surprise.
“When recruiters would come in and talk about where you’re going after high school, at our school it is enroll, enlist or employ. I can tell you enlisting was out of the discussion. I was either enroll or employ,” DeVito said. “I always had respect for the military. I just never saw it for me personally.
“I was uneducated. As I’ve gotten to know more about it, I love everything about it — getting to be a part of something bigger than myself.”
Of course, the opportunity to play quarterback fit his plan, too.
“Coach (Mike) Thiessen, who is going to be my quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, said, ‘You will step foot on campus as a quarterback and you will graduate as a quarterback,’ ” DeVito said. “Their big selling point was, ‘You can come be America’s quarterback.’ That’s pretty cool to hear.”
The Air Force is getting a steal, Mahaney said.
“They’re getting a phenomenal young man, first and foremost. They’re getting a kid who loves to work and obviously has all the talent in the world,” Mahaney said. “He has all the talent and all the traits and he’s put in a ton of time.
“We can expect some exciting things from him.”
While playing quarterback at a Division I program is a dream come true, DeVito has begun to think about life beyond football.
The Air Force Academy will equip him for whatever comes next. He plans to study finance and will have to serve a four-year post-graduation commitment to the Air Force.
“The service academies are the top leadership schools in the nation,” DeVito said. “Those guys will literally go to war for each other, on the field or in the world. It really is a brotherhood like no other.”