North Carolina QB Gio Lopez plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal
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North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Lopez transferred to UNC ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Lopez started in all 11 of his appearances for the Tar Heels this past season. He completed 65.1% of his pass attempts for 1,747 yards and 10 touchdowns, compared to five interceptions. Additionally, Lopez recorded 133 yards and scores in the ground game this past season.
Prior to joining head coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels, Lopez spent two seasons at South Alabama. Lopez had a breakout season for the Jaguars in 2024, tallying 11 starts.
He finished his redshirt freshman season with 2,557 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, while only throwing five interceptions. He also rushed for a career-high 465 yards and seven TDs. Lopez only appeared in five games in the 2023 season before ultimately redshirting.
Gio Lopez played high school football at James Clemens (AL), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1,332 overall player and No. 70 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
Lopez will be the 26th North Carolina player to enter the transfer portal this offseason. On Sunday, UNC received a transfer commitment from former Wisconsin QB Billy Edwards Jr.
With Lopez leading the offense, North Carolina posted a 4-8 overall record and a 2-6 mark in conference play this past season. In December, Belichick hired former Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to call plays for the Tar Heels next season.
In November, there was speculation that Belichick would return to the professional ranks. Alas, the 73-year-old HC quickly squashed those rumors.
“Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies,” Belichick wrote. “Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered.
“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud.”
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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