North Carolina names Gio Lopez starting quarterback ahead of 2025 season

Bill Belichick has his starting quarterback. North Carolina is rocking with South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez to lead the team in 2025, Belichick announced on Wednesday.

“Gio’s made a ton of progress,” Belichick said. “We have evaluated things through training camp and as now we get ready for TCU, he’ll be our starting quarterback. So, we’ll give him the majority of the reps in practice and make sure we get him as much preparation as possible. But everybody needs to be ready to go.”

Lopez joined the Tar Heels after serving as the Jaguars’ full-time starter during the 2024 campaign, completing 66% of his passes for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions. Lopez’s arm wasn’t his only threat. He also amassed 465 rushing yards and seven TDs on 85 carries.

For his efforts, he was named an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention. Lopez boosted the Jaguars to a 6-6 record and a 5-3 mark in conference play. 

In his debut season in 2023, Lopez made five appearances, including one start. In his limited time on the field, Lopez completed 41 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns while adding 154 yards and two scores in the ground game. He ultimately spent two seasons at South Alabama. 

As he prepares for Year 1 in Chapel Hill, he’ll be the one to help usher in a new era for the Belichick-led Tar Heels. Speaking with the media earlier this summer, Lopez discussed playing for the Hall of Fame coach.

“It’s a great opportunity to have someone that demands excellence,” Lopez said about Belichick, via the Manning Passing Academy. “Just being with a coach that’s seen it all and has coached it all, just that kind of situation that you don’t take for granted. Whenever he speaks, everyone listens, so it’s a great opportunity to be a part of.”

Of course, Belichick is a believer in Lopez, as well. He’s thinking the production the quarterback enjoyed at South Alabama will carry over to North Carolina.

“He was really productive at South Alabama,” Belichick said earlier this summer. “He’s a dual-threat quarterback who has had plenty of productive yardage in both the running game and the passing game. He’s a tough kid who has played really well against tough competition and teams like LSU.

“It looks like he’s definitely ready for this level. We’re excited to work with him, as we are with everybody else. We’ve got some freshmen, we’ve got Max [Johnson], we’ve got some experience in Gio so we’ll see how it all plays out.”

It all begins for Gio Lopez and North Carolina on Sept. 1. They’ll welcome TCU to town to start a new era of Tar Heels football. We’ll see how it shakes out.