Bill Belichick Names Transfer Gio Lopez UNC’s Starting QB

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Gio Lopez indeed is locked in as North Carolina’s starting quarterback entering the approaching college football season, a first-team status that has been expected since he committed to the Tar Heels out of the transfer portal four months ago.

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Coach Bill Belichick made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon, five days before UNC kicks off the new 2025 campaign against TCU on the night of Labor Day. Sixth-year senior Max Johnson will back up Lopez. True freshmen Bryce Baker and Au’Tori Newkirk are further down the quarterback depth chart.

“Gio has made a ton of progress,” Belichick said Wednesday at Kenan Football Center. “We’ve evaluated things through training camp. And now as we get ready for TCU, he’ll be our starting quarterback. So we’ll give him the majority of reps in practice and make sure that we get him as much preparation as possible. But everybody needs to be ready to go. I feel very comfortable with him and what he’s doing, but he’ll get better as we go forward, because we just will.

“We have a lot of practices in front of us and a lot of games in front of us, and we’ll all learn a lot from those. So I think he’s ready, but I think he’ll be, like everybody, more ready as we go forward.”

The lefty Lopez, a dual threat, spent the last two seasons at South Alabama. He arrived on campus at UNC in May, after spring practices had concluded. He entered the transfer portal on April 14, and committed to Carolina three days later.

Lopez proved to be one of the most productive quarterbacks on the Group of Five level at South Alabama. He produced 274.7 yards of total offense last season, ranking No. 22 nationally in the FBS among that category.

He finished fourth in the Sun Belt in passing (2,559 yards or 232.6 yards per game) last season, fourth in touchdown passes (18), fourth in completion percentage (206-for-312 or 66 percent), and third in fewest interceptions (five). He also ran for 465 yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Todd McShay, the longtime NFL Draft evaluator and college football analyst, had effusive praise for Lopez (6-foot, 203 pounds) two weeks ago on his 2025 college football primer podcast. McShay remarked that Lopez “jumped out” earlier this summer at the famed Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana.

“He’s short but unbelievably athletic,” he said of Lopez on The McShay Show. “He snaps the ball off. I went to see certain quarterbacks at the Manning Passing Academy. And we know the names — (LaNorris) Sellers, (Cade) Klubnik, (Garrett) Nussmeier, obviously, and a handful of others…

“But then this Gio Lopez guy stood out. And he was just ripping the ball. And I’m not talking about NFL Draft. I’m talking about college football this year. Bill Belichick chose him. And he doesn’t look anything like (Tom) Brady, and he doesn’t play anything like Brady. But there’s a reason. I’m fascinated to see how that goes at UNC this year.”

Before UNC’s preseason training camp opened earlier this month, Lopez mentioned his previous offense at South Alabama didn’t use anywhere near the number of looks with multiple tight end sets that are part of the Tar Heels’ new playbook under offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens.

“It’s more of an NFL-like offense,” Lopez said at the ACC Kickoff preseason event. “It’s different when you’re at South Alabama. You’re watching tape and you’re bringing up South Alabama tape. And then when you turn on tape with Kitchens, it’s the (New England) Patriots, or when he was the head coach with the (Cleveland) Browns. You’re like, ‘wow, I’m watching NFL guys, where I want to be, I’m watching them execute this play.’ So it’s been awesome learning from him.”