4 days ago
2
North Carolina will have a new field general next season as quarterback Gio Lopez plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Lopez, who started 11 of UNC’s 12 games last season, made his decision one day after the Tar Heels landed Wisconsin transfer quarterback Billy Edwards. Lopez, who transferred from South Alabama last spring, did not produce as much as many expected.
He finished the 2025 season at UNC with 1,747 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, going 4-7 as the starter. He averaged 158.8 passing yards per game, which ranked last in the ACC, and his touchdown total was last in the league among quarterbacks who played in at least 10 games.
Advertisement
North Carolina ranked 109th nationally in passing offense (183.5 yards per game), 119th in scoring (19.3 points per game) and 129th in total offense (288.8 yards per game). That led to former offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens being fired and Bobby Petrino being hired to fix the Tar Heels’ offensive issues.
For now, the quarterback room consists of Edwards, redshirt freshman Au’tori Newkirk and incoming freshman Travis Burgess, who is out with a season-ending injury. UNC also hosted former Texas A&M quarterback Miles O’Neill — a player Petrino recruited when he was the Aggies’ offensive coordinator — on campus on Monday.
Make sure to follow Tar Heels Wire for more transfer portal updates as the portal period ramps up.Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Football: Gio Lopez to enter transfer portal
English (US) ·