Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Add South Alabama Transfer to QB Room

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The Tar Heels entered last Saturday’s ‘Practice Like a Pro’ event with one transfer quarterback challenging for the starting job and less than a week later they have swapped him out for a new transfer quarterback that will battle to win the job.

As he announced via social media, South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez has committed to UNC after being projected to land with the team earlier in the week. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Lopez, who ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the portal in the spring window, is coming off of a two year career at South Alabama. Back in 2023, Lopez played in four games, starting his first career game against Troy, where he completed 17 of his 27 passes for 155 yards and an interception. He was much better in his next start in the team’s bowl game against Eastern Michigan as he threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns on 14 of 19 passing and rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries.

This season was Lopez’s breakout year as he started eleven of the team’s twelve games, missing the second game of the season. In those twelve games, the Jaguars posted a 6-5 record while Lopez completed 206 of his 312 passes (66% completion percentage) for 2,559 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also ran for 463 yards and seven touchdowns on 83 carries.

This is a nice addition to the quarterback room and one that has the chance to be one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC. The thing is, so does Bryce Baker. Many believe that this move was made with the thought being that Lopez will be this year’s starter, but he should have to earn it over your highly-touted quarterback recruit that you brought with you on the court back in December during a Tar Heel basketball home game. If Lopez wins this job, he could be special, but there is just as good of a chance that you lose Baker to the portal, someone who could be just as special in time or possibly even better. His pickup is tricky to evaluate, but the hope is that the Tar Heels will make the right decision that will set this program up for the most success not only this year, but the next two or three years.