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Eli Lederman
The former quarter-back in southern Alabama, Gio Lopez, one of the best passers-by of the spring transfer portal, has signed up in North Carolina, he announced on social media on Thursday.
Transfer n ° 6 Available in the classification of the Espn spring portal, Lopez ends as a first cycle to claim the Tar Heels quarter-arre position under the first-year coach Bill Belichick. According to sources, Lopez will join the North Carolina on a 4 million dollars contract over two years with three remaining eligibility seasons after a first year season in Brief-Shirt in 2024.
Lopez entered the transfer portal earlier this week two days after finishing the spring camp with South Alabama. His commitment officially firm the long research in Tar Heels of a quarter-tree since Belichick resumed the program in December.
Sources said Lopez had initially considered an exit from southern Alabama during the winter transfer portal window before choosing to stay in the program. He stayed with the jaguars thanks to spring practices and participated in the program’s spring showcase, but the interest of the transfer portal of the main power programs 4 persisted in the spring window.
Sources have declared to ESPN that Georgia and LSU had discussions with Lopez this spring, each in order to give Lopez a chance to compete for a starting place in 2026. According to sources, North Carolina initiated contact with the Lopez camp in March and continued to speak Thursday, when Lopez finalized his agreement with the director general Michael Lombardi and heels Tarts.
The North Carolina entered the first Belichick spring camp with three quarters on the list – Max Johnson, Ryan Browne and the new recruit Bryce Baker.
Browne, an old transfer from Purdue, entered the portal earlier this week. Baker, recruit No. 200 ESPN during cycle 2025, remains with the Tar Heels after having affirmed his commitment after the departure of coach Mack Brown. Johnson, a 23 -game starter, returned in 2025 after suffering a leg injury at the end of the season in the week 1 last fall.
Lopez of 6 feet 2 inches and 220 pounds, Lopez became one of the most productive groups of 5-quarters of the country last fall when he led South Alabama at a end of 7-6 in the first season of the coach Major Applewhite. Lopez completed 66% of its passes for 2,559 yards and 18 affected in 11 starts, adding 465 other yards on the ground and seven affected on the ground.
According to Trumedia, the 8.20 yards by Lopez’s attempt by passers -by in 2024 were ranked 26th among the quarters nationwide. He also made 38 passes of 20 yards and more last fall, more than 27 return passers -by across the country in 2025.
