UNC lands South Alabama QB Gio Lopez via transfer portal

A day after newly arrived quarterback Ryan Browne announced that he is leaving North Carolina, the Tar Heels landed Gio Lopez out of the transfer portal.

Lopez was the starting quarterback as a redshirt freshman at South Alabama last season as the Jaguars went 7-6 and won the Salute to Veterans Bowl.

Lopez tweeted, "Excited and grateful, go Heels! @UNCFootball"

Excited and grateful, go Heels! @UNCFootball pic.twitter.com/1qpdXxsHXa

— Gio Lopez 7? (@lopezgio1) April 18, 2025

According to ESPN, Lopez landed a two-year, $4 million deal from North Carolina.

Lopez, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound Alabama native, connected on 66 percent of his passes last season for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions. He added 83 carries for 465 yards and seven TDs.

With new coach Bill Belichick's Tar Heels, Lopez joins a quarterback corps that also includes Max Johnson and incoming freshman Bryce Baker. Johnson, who previously played at LSU and Texas A&M, started the 2024 opener for North Carolina but sustained a season-ending broken leg in that contest.

Senior Jacolby Criswell wound up as the Tar Heels' primary QB last season as the team went 6-7 with a loss in the Fenway Bowl.

Browne arrived briefly from Purdue but quickly re-entered the transfer portal.

--Field Level Media