Bill Belichick's Honest Thoughts On the Quarterback Situation

North Carolina's quarterback situation has been of the concerning talkings points.

Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks into the field before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

North Carolina's quarterback situation has been one that continues to stick out as one of the biggest issues that has led to its 2-2 record. Head coach Bill Belichick has had to use both Gio Lopez and Max Johnson this season, and the performances between the two have been a continuation since Fall Camp this past August. Lopez has yet to reach expectations, struggling against teams with tough defenses like TCU and UCF, but he also struggled when facing the Charlotte 49ers — Belichick's first victory.

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick greets Richmond Spiders head coach Russ Huesman before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

On the other hand, Johnson has had to fill in when Lopez came out of the game with an injury, but has shown out in his two appearances, throwing a touchdown in each. Belichick, while speaking to the media on Tuesday afternoon to the media shared his thoughts on the quarterback situation at hand.

• "Look, we have two experienced quarterbacks and two freshmen. The two experienced quarterbacks are ahead of the freshman at this point. But I'd say those freshmen are gaining ground, and they're making improvement on a steady basis as well."

Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) warms up before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

• "Gio wasn't able to practice last week, so we practiced with the guys that we have. We'll see how that goes today and figure it out for this coming game. Gio has improved a lot. And offensively, again, we just haven't been consistent enough in any area. But we're getting closer. We'll continue to push ahead on that."

• "When Gio's able to practice, we'll see how much improvement he has made and can make. If he's not, then other players will be in."

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Max Johnson (14) on the field in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Will Bill Belichick Make the Switch?

Belichick and the staff need to be conscious about their decision on who will be starting on Saturday against the Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney. The Tigers, who have a record of 1-3, will look to fire out of the gates. The win column may not show it, but there is still plenty of talent on its roster that will cause problems for the Tar Heels. But besides the quarterback situation, the offensive line has been an issue, too.

Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks on at this team during the second half against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

There have been many times where Lopez has been sacked through the first four games, and it's due to the lack of protection the O-line has been able to provide. If it continues to play the same way, then Clemson will have no trouble getting in the backfield — making life miserable for UNC's signal caller, regardless of who it is.

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