Bill Belichick's (likely) first UNC QB is impressing — with his 'violent' golf game
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Christo Kelly hasn't blocked for Gio Lopez or seen the South Alabama transfer make plays in a practice setting for UNC football.
But Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and veteran offensive lineman, can vouch for Lopez's golf game and the 6-foot, 200-pound lefty's aggressive willingness to win.
"Gio's a great competitor, and obviously he had a great career at South Alabama. He's a pretty good golfer, too. Very good club head speed,' Kelly said June 10 during a summer press conference at the Kenan Football Center.
BLOCKING THE NOISE: Bill Belichick ignores off-the-field 'noise', describes what he's seen from UNC football
Described by Kelly as a golfer who is 'violent with the hips' and 'hits it very hard' – evidenced by their shared experience at Topgolf during a long-drive competition – Lopez comes to Chapel Hill as the favorite to be the Tar Heels' starting quarterback in UNC's debut season under head coach Bill Belichick.
"Just like everything, everything's a competition, day in and day out. Everyone's really just focused on taking it one day at a time. No one's really viewing anything as a starter or non-starter, whatever that is,' Kelly said.
'Guys were brought in here to compete. And the message has been sent that you're going to earn everything every day. So you've got to come with your A-game, and iron sharpens iron. So it's good to be in this position where you have so many great players in the quarterback room. And really, all the rooms in general, where guys are just going to be pushing each other every day."
Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp threw a jab at Lopez's accent, but went on to praise the QB's presence around the team.
"Gio's a great guy outside of ball. I haven't had a rep with him in pads yet, but I still feel like my trust in him is just as high as everybody else. We can plug-and-play any quarterback. All of them are good. All of them can ball. All of them can play. So I feel good with anybody,' Shipp said.
"But off the field, Gio's a great guy. He comes from a great family. He's from Alabama, so he throws that accent in a little bit. But I love Gio, and I'm excited for what he's going to bring to the program."
Bill Belichick discusses Gio Lopez, UNC football quarterback competition
In just under 50 days, UNC will begin preseason practice in preparation for the Tar Heels' season opener against TCU on Labor Day.
But who will be taking first-team reps at quarterback on the first day of training camp in Belichick's first season?
There are three candidates to be that guy on Aug. 1, the date of the first practice, and Sept. 1, the date of the first game: freshman Bryce Baker, veteran Max Johnson and Lopez.
'Bryce is the only one that was here in the spring. Max was here, but wasn't able to participate much (because of his recovery from a leg injury). And, of course, Gio is new. So I think, as we see the offense evolve, it'll obviously be reflective of how those quarterbacks do and how that position shapes up,' Belichick said on June 10 during a summer press conference at the Kenan Football Center.
'So I think we have good competition there, and our offense is our offense, and we'll be able to adapt to whoever it is. … But we'll see how it all plays out. So right now, that position is one that we just don't have a lot of on-field experience with. And again, even though Max was here, he just wasn't able to participate in any of the team drills. So you know, it kind of also includes him, even though he's a very experienced player."
There isn't a lot of clarity, but there seems to be a clear choice as the favorite: Lopez. Five days after UNC's open practice on April 12 at Kenan Stadium, Lopez committed to the Tar Heels.
Lopez finished with 2,559 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns, completing 66% of his passes with 18 passing TDs in 11 starts last season with the Jaguars. He also showed an ability to make plays out of the pocket, logging 465 rushing yards and seven TDs on the ground. In his lone start against a high-major program, Lopez had 173 yards and a TD in a loss at No. 14 LSU.
"Gio was really productive at South Alabama. He's a dual-threat quarterback. He's had plenty of production, yardage, both running game and passing game experience. Tough kid, played well against some good competition, teams like LSU,' Belichick said.
'So, looks like he's definitely ready for this level. And we're excited to work with him, as we are with everybody else. … We'll see how it all plays out, honestly.'
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
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