UNC Fall Camp Preview: Who Will Lead Bill Belichick’s Offense?

North Carolina enters fall camp with a two-man quarterback competition that pits potential against experience, as transfer Gio Lopez and veteran Max Johnson vie for the starting role under center.

Lopez, a dual-threat sophomore from South Alabama, is the early front-runner after a breakout 2024 season, while Johnson — a former LSU and Texas A&M starter — brings a battle-tested résumé and nearly 6,000 career passing yards to the table.

In his lone season with the Jaguars, Lopez completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,559 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions over 11 games. He also rushed for 463 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 274.7 total yards per game, which ranked 22nd nationally.

Despite a comfortable setup at South Alabama and a strong relationship with head coach Major Applewhite, Lopez jumped at the chance to compete at the Power Five level after a conversation with UNC head coach Bill Belichick.

“He just told me, like, ‘Hey, if you’re willing to compete for a spot and want to play a bigger program, you have that opportunity here,’” Lopez said. “Of course, nothing was given to me, because I didn’t earn anything. I’m 20 years old. I got a lot of life to still earn a lot of things. So, for me, the opportunity was enough for me to want to take that.”

One of Lopez’s strengths is his deep passing. According to Pro Football Focus, he earned a 91.0 deep passing grade in 2024 — the highest of his career — completing 41 percent of throws that traveled 20 or more yards. Those attempts accounted for 759 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

His overall 66-percent completion rate ranked 18th nationally and sits 10th among all returning FBS quarterbacks this season. He also handled pressure well, completing 67 percent of his passes for 900 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception on 100 pressured attempts.

However, Lopez showed some inconsistency under duress. When pressured, he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes, throwing for 559 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. PFF gave him a 43.0 overall offensive grade and 43.6 passing grade in those situations.

Intermediate throws were another weak spot. On passes between 10 and 15 yards, Lopez completed less than half, totaling 501 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He particularly struggled on the left side of the field, where he went just 3-for-18 for 55 yards.

If Lopez falters, North Carolina has one of the most experienced backups in the country in Johnson, who has started games at two SEC programs. Johnson’s best season came at LSU in 2021, when he threw for 2,814 yards, 27 touchdowns and six interceptions on a 60.3-percent completion rate.

Johnson’s time in Baton Rouge was marred by instability. He played under two different offensive coordinators in two seasons before Ed Orgeron was fired, setting up yet another scheme change.

Seeking more continuity, Johnson transferred to Texas A&M. In 2022, he led the Aggies to a 2–1 record as a starter, completing 60 percent of his passes for 517 yards and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending hand injury. He returned in 2023 and threw for 1,452 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games before broken ribs sidelined him again.

He later transferred to UNC and won the starting job to open the 2024 season, but suffered a broken femur in the opener against Minnesota and missed the rest of the year.

Despite his injury history, Johnson’s leadership and experience provide stability and mentorship for a young Tar Heel quarterback room. And while the two are locked in competition, Lopez said they’ve built a strong relationship over the offseason.

“The quarterback battle has been awesome. Of course, as a competitor, you’ve got to love it. If you don’t love competition, you shouldn’t be playing football,” Lopez said. “Max has been awesome. We’ve been super helpful with each other. We went to Manning Passing Academy together, and we honestly got closer there.”

As camp continues, Belichick and his staff face a key decision at the game’s most important position. Whether UNC rolls with the rising sophomore or the seasoned SEC veteran, the Tar Heels appear to be in steady hands heading into 2025.

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