Gio Lopez Signs With North Carolina's ACC Rival

After entering the transfer portal on Monday, following the flurry of quarterback additions the North Carolina Tar Heels orchestrated over the weekend, Gio Lopez is signing with Wake Forest.

The former Tar Heels' signal caller is coming off an underwhelming 2025 season in which he completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,747 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions while attempting 6.7 yards per pass.

Wake Forest quickly identified Lopez as a potential answer for its starting quarterback, inking the 6-foot-1, 202-pound quarterback heading into 2026. Lopez was one of Bill Belichick's first transfer acquisitions last offseason. The former South Alabama signal caller started 11 games for the Tar Heels this past season but never established himself as a long-term solution at quarterback.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) is hit after a pass by Duke Blue Devils defensive back Caleb Weaver (3) during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Evidently, Lopez entered the transfer portal after one season in Chapel Hill, officially shutting the door on his brief tenure with North Carolina.

When the Tar Heels faced Wake Forest on Nov. 15, Lopez completed 21-of-36 passes for 201 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. The left-handed quarterback also took two sacks in the 28 -12 loss.

Fallout from Lopez transferring to Wake Forest

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) rushes around the end during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Lopez's time in Chapel Hill was clearly on borrowed time after North Carolina landed four-star quarterback Travis Burgess in the 2026 recruitment class. Then the Tar Heels signed quarterback transfers Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O'Neill over the weekend. After Lopez initially indicated that he will be returning to North Carolina next season, those acquisitions swayed his decision leading to where we are now with this situation.

While speaking with the media during National Signing Day in December, general manager Michael Lombardi spoke on Burgess and the assessment of the roster.

"I think we’re going to spend a lot of time on every position and evaluate every position correctly, and then understand where we need to go forward," Lombardi said. "And certainly, Travis Burgess. Obviously, he missed most of his senior season with his injuries, so that has to play into account."

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

Lombardi's comments were a precursor for Lopez's inevitable departure from Chapel Hill. After a subpar performance in 2025, it was highly unlikely that redshirt junior would be starting for the Tar Heels next season. The most likely outcome is Burgess starting Week 1 or opening the season as the backup, with the possibility of entering the fray early on in the season.

Lopez will be joining a Wake Forest team that finished 8-4 this past season, which has a reciprocal record similar to North Carolina.

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