North Carolina added the transfer of southern Alabama Gio Lopez at its quarter-back room. He announced the commitment on Thursday evening.
Lopez, a 6 -foot and 220 pound SouthPaw entered the transfer portal early Wednesday morning, on the day of the winter transfer gate window. He has three seasons of eligibility.
“I did not enter the portal so as not to be a starter, I can assure you this fact,” said Lopez at Madison Record.
“(Bill Belichick and I) had telephone conversations, because he is very simple. He has already seen the size, and he knows what he wants and looking for,” said Lopez. “For me, going to North Carolina would be an excellent opportunity, because the coach Belichick has so much to teach and offer to any university football player. This could be a unique chance for me because the program has several ex-nfl trainers who can make a difference.”
Lopez broke out as a red shirt recruit last fall, completing 66% of its throws (206 out of 312) for 2,559 yards, 18 affected and only five interceptions. He also rushed to 465 yards and seven scores.
During the 2023 season, Lopez appeared in four competitions, as well as the Bowl match by South Alabama. He started a defeat of 28-10 at the end of the season against Troy, completing 63% of his passes for 155 yards. In the Bowl match, a rout of 59-10 from eastern Michigan, he flashed his potential: three touched and 192 yards on 14 on 19 assists.
After the 2023 season, Bishop Davenport was transferred to South Alabama from the Utah State. He and Lopez competed for the work of the Jaguars departure quarter.
“Gio is ahead, just from the point of view, he was in these meetings last year,” the South Alabama head coach, Major Applewhite, at the end of August after August after Lopez won the QB competition. “… Gio just has more experience in the meeting room, more experience with the offensive, more experience with the Scout team. (Lopez and Davenport) bring skills similar to the game, it’s just an experience (Lopez) at the moment, having played in five games and started, that’s what has advanced it. It is an accumulation of many things, but the experience was the biggest factor.”
In April 22, Lopez became the first commitment of southern Alabama, choosing the jaguars compared to other schools of five groups like Charlotte, Troy and UAB. He played the high school balloon in the north in Madison (ala.) High clemens.
During the winter transfer window, UNC signed the old quarter-arre of Purdue Ryan Browne outside the portal. He contributed with the real recruit and the old four stars Bryce Baker This spring, but Browne returned to the portal this week. In the meantime, Max JohnsonWho started last season as a starter of the Tar Heels, continued his recovery from a serious leg injury.
“I think that each time you can acquire more talents is an important window,” said UNC managing director Mike Lombardi, in February from the spring portal window. “I think that we obviously have more time to prepare for it, because we would not have just been launched in it. So I think that a lot of scouts is the preparation. We will not know the names of those who are in the portal, but we will have a better idea of what it takes to be in the portal and which could possibly enter, then have the ability to assess them.
“And really to get things as you want to execute a program, it’s not reactive. Al Davis told me all the time:” Secret for all organizations and the secret of any major organization lies in the ability to anticipate problems, and not to react. “I think that when we entered here, we react to the portal. Now we can anticipate the portal, which will certainly help us.”
