Gio Lopez Prepares To Answer Call As Bill Belichick's First UNC Quarterback

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Just as it seemed Bill Belichick was in the midst of delivering a generally vague answer in his press conference on Wednesday, he softly uttered news about Gio Lopez that North Carolina fans have been waiting to hear.

>>> Welcome to the new home of Inside Carolina! Reactivate your account for $1 <<<

“As we get ready for TCU, he’ll be our starting quarterback,” Belichick nonchalantly revealed in stride while answering a question about Lopez’s progression. “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.”

And, with that, it’s official. After joining the team post-spring, throwing with the receivers in the summer and taking part in a quarterback competition throughout training camp, Lopez will be Belichick’s first quarterback at North Carolina.

“I’m super thankful for the opportunity,” Lopez said on Wednesday. “Coach told me a little bit before, but nothing too crazy. Just kind of told me I looked good during the fall camp, and told me that I’m gonna take the reins of the offense. Just thankful for the opportunity.

“Talking to my dad, it’s like, ‘Man, you’re gonna be Coach Belichick’s first starting quarterback in college.’”

Lopez earned the nickname “Magic Johnson,” a moniker his UNC teammates gave him after he tossed a no-look pass in one of the practices. The lefty totaled 2,559 passing yards at South Alabama last season, good for fourth in the Sun Belt. Lopez finished fourth in touchdown passes (18), fourth in completion percentage (66%) and third in fewest interceptions (five). He also ran for 465 yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp said the team learned the news “10 minutes before y’all did,” but went on to highlight the trust and confidence he has in Lopez. Shipp and Lopez threw together consistently after Lopez’s arrival, getting started no more than two weeks after Lopez made it to Chapel Hill.

“I love Gio,” Shipp said. “On and off the field, that’s one of my closest friends here. We grew very tightly in a short amount of time. But again, like I said the first time, I have a lot of trust in all of our quarterbacks. Gio’s definitely a great player. He’s a great leader. He’s going to take us where we need to be.”

Belichick said Lopez made “a ton of progress” during training camp this month and will continue to get better through the course of the season. Lopez credited Major Applewhite, his quarterbacks coach-turned-head coach at South Alabama, for helping him in his development. Lopez spent two seasons with Applewhite and took on the starting role for the Jaguars the same year Applewhite became the head coach.

Lopez heads into Labor Day night against TCU as the general of UNC’s offense, with the whole football world prepared to watch the only game of the day.

Lopez stated his mentality plainly: avoid negative yardage and do your job. The mission sounds simple enough, but will be put to the test soon.

“For me, I just want to win games,” Lopez said. “I don’t care if I have 500 yards or if I have five yards. If we win the game, that’s all that matters to me.”