Shelby's Brayden DeVito signs NLI to play at US Air Force Academy
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SHELBY — One of Shelby’s greatest of all time is ready to spread his wings even further.
Senior Brayden DeVito signed his official National Letter of Intent on Wednesday in front of friends, family, coaches and teammates to play college football at the United States Air Force Academy, bringing an end to a whirlwind of recruiting visits and phone calls over the last four years.
“It has just been a wild ride,” DeVito said. “What a blessing it has been to be a part of with some great people. A huge thanks goes to my coaches, my family and my teammates. Without them, I can’t say I’d be the player I am. It feels good to get some finalization, but I enjoyed every bit of it.”
On the football field, DeVito is the recipient of the first-ever MNJ Mr. Football Award. He earned Ohio Mr. Football Runner-Up, Division IV Ohio Offensive Player of the Year, Division IV first team All-Ohio, North Central Ohio Football Coaches Association Offensive Back of the Year – Big Schools, Division IV Northwest District Offensive Player of the Year, Division IV first team All-Northwest District, Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year and first team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference honors during a historic 2025 season.
DeVito completed 196-of-281 passes for 3,200 yards and 41 touchdowns while running for 1,223 yards on 149 carries with 26 touchdowns. He also added three catches for 15 yards and recorded 33 tackles, one tackle for loss, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns for a grand total of 69 total touchdowns in 2025 while leading the Whippets to their first state championship game appearance in program history.
But off the field, DeVito has inspired a plethora of young, future Shelby Whippets of all ages.
“You talk about the kids in Shelby who got to grow up and watch him play these four years, he is a hero to those kids,” Shelby coach Rob Mahaney said. “Beyond football, he should be a hero to these kids. A 4.0 GPA, going to serve our country, the work ethic, I couldn’t imagine a better kid for our young kids to want to emulate. Just a perfect role model.”
DeVito’s high school football career is legendary. He completed 728-of-1,102 passes for 12,804 yards and 126 touchdowns averaging 14 yards per completion and completing 66.2% of his passes and averages 271.21 yards per game. He is No. 4 on the all-time passing yards list in Ohio high school football history and is tied for No. 8 on the passing touchdowns list.
He owned 4,530 rushing yards on 543 carries with 73 touchdowns as he owns the school record for rushing touchdowns along with nearly every career passing record. Add in his 11 catches for 204 yards and three scores along with three defensive touchdowns and DeVito compiled 17,538 yards of total offense and 205 total touchdowns.
But the thing he is most proud of is the way his 2025 Shelby Whippets brought a community together on their way to the program’s first state championship game appearance.
“To be able to do that for a community that has done so much for me, it means the world,” DeVito said. “I grew up in Shelby and it is all I know. I wouldn’t ask for it any other way if I could redo it. To be able to give back a tiny bit of what it has given to me, means a lot.”
More than 100 people gathered in the gym at Shelby High School to watch DeVito sign his NLI to Air Force. And he took nearly that many photos after the ceremony. None more memorable for Mahaney than when he posed with the kids of the Shelby football coaching staff.
“He is exceptional with young kids,” Mahaney said. “Brayden carries himself so well and understands the positive impact he can have on the kids in Shelby. That is why he takes the time to do that. He was that kid who grew up in Shelby idolizing the Brennan Armstrongs. He knew he had that opportunity and took full advantage of it. He took a picture with all of the coaches kids that he spent time to get to know. He is the reason my two daughters are huge football fans.”
DeVito will finish out the winter and spring semesters at Shelby before heading to Colorado Springs where he will join the Falcons’ roster and get reps at quarterback.
“I am so ready to embark on this journey,” DeVito said. “It is going to do so many great things for me. It will have a bunch of challenges that I’ve never had to face, but it is going to set me up for life. I am so blessed to be able to play football at the next level. All that combined into one, I am so ready for it.”
With his journey just beginning, Mahaney believes he will continue to inspire just as much as he did during his high school football career.
“We hope what he has done and is going to do will inspire the next wave,” Mahaney said. “It is beyond football. The sport has led him to serve our country and the highest level and we are all extremely proud of him. I think the next wave see that and see the commitment.”
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shelby’s Brayden DeVito signs NLI to United States Air Force Academy
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