UNC football needs a starting quarterback. Who will Bill Belichick choose?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gio Lopez, a dual-threat South Alabama transfer, is UNC's likely starting QB.
- Max Johnson continues recovery from injury; fall camp will determine readiness.
- UNC rebuilt two-thirds of roster; Belichick leads dynamic, portal-heavy transition.
With all the attention given to Bill Belichick’s young girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, all but overshadowed has been the development of the coach’s first football team at North Carolina.
Belichick said Tuesday that Hudson would have “no role” in the UNC football program, and surely hopes that will put that question — and the distractions the publicity about their relationship has caused — to rest.
Who will have a role? Quarterback Gio Lopez, for one. The transfer from South Alabama is currently projected as the probable starter for the Tar Heels.
When the Heels held their “Practice Like a Pro” open practice at Kenan Stadium on April 12 to end spring drills, the quarterbacks who took a lot of reps were Ryan Browne, a transfer from Purdue, and Bryce Baker, the incoming freshman from East Forsyth High who was Belichick’s first recruit.
Things changed. Quickly.
In a matter of days, Lopez announced he was coming to UNC. Then, Browne announced he was going back to Purdue. The quarterback room immediately took on a new look.
It also has given Belichick and the Heels a different feel at quarterback. Browne is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, and Lopez is listed at 6 feet and 220 pounds. Browne throws the ball right-handed and Lopez is a lefty, giving the Heels two southpaw QBs — Max Johnson also has a left-handed delivery.
Building QB depth
But how effective will Lopez be as he steps up in competition from the Sun Belt Conference to the ACC?
Belichick, in a media availability Tuesday, said Lopez looks like he’s “definitely ready for this level.”
“He’s a dual-threat quarterback and has had plenty of production yardage, both in the running game and the passing game,” he said. “He has experience. Tough kid.”
Lopez, a redshirt sophomore, was ranked No. 6 by ESPN in the spring portal prospects. The Alabama native finished with 2,559 passing yards and 18 touchdowns while also picking up 465 yards and seven TDs rushing as the Jaguars finished 7-6 last season.
Lopez, once in the portal, drew interest from Georgia and LSU, but decided on UNC, agreeing to a reported two-year deal worth $2 million a year, according to ESPN.
Johnson came to UNC from Texas A&M a year ago and was the Heels’ starter in the opener at Minnesota. A serious leg injury in that game ended his season and his rehab and recovery has been long and grueling, limiting his work in spring practice as the new coach took over.
“Max is doing really well,” Belichick said Tuesday. “It’s a tough injury but no one has worked harder than he has. We’ll see where he is when (fall camp) starts. But he’s a whole lot closer and we certainly expect to see him out there (at practice), so it’s been very encouraging.”
Finding the right pieces
Fitting Lopez into a backfield with, say, running back Davion “Bullet” Gause could be what the Heels and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens have in mind for the Sept. 1 opener against TCU. Gause did not get a lot of work last fall with Omarion Hampton getting most of the carries, but the 5-11, 215-pounder did average almost five yards a carry when he was in the games.
Wide receivers Jordan Shipp and Kobe Paysour, holdovers from Mack Brown’s last team, could be starters. But that’s just a guesstimate, with so much to be done in fall camp, and a depth chart to be finalized. The same is true for an offensive line that could include Kelly and other transfers.
“Everything is a competition, day in and day out,” Kelly said Tuesday. “No one is viewing anything, you know, as a starter or not a starter. Guys were brought in here to compete, and the message was sent you’re going to earn everything every day. You’ve got to come with your ‘A’ game, and iron sharpens iron.”
The defensive line also will have a new look and Belichick said defensive back Thad Dixon, a transfer from Washington, has been impressive. Dixon’s former defensive coordinator was Steve Belichick, now the Heels’ DC.
“Great leadership, first one on the field, works hard, very good in preparation, “ Bill Belichick said of Dixon, who played 28 games in two seasons for the Huskies, including the national championship game against Michigan after the 2023 season.
Asked the trademark of a Steve Belichick defense, Dixon said, “Physicality.” That was it, end of answer.
UNC’s portal class was ranked in the top 10 nationally by 247Sports.com. There was a lot of coming and going as the new roster was built by Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi.
“A lot of new faces since the end of last season.” Belichick said Tuesday. “A lot of turnover, almost two-thirds of the roster from where it was in January.
“It will be interesting to see how it all comes together. We have a lot of work to do, but it’s certainly trending in the right direction.”
