Why the Addition of Quarterback Gio Lopez Makes Perfect Sense for Wake Forest

The Demon Deacons dive into the portal to get a quarterback

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) looks to pass in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

When Deshawn Purdie decided to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, Demon Deacon fans knew Jake Dickert and his staff would have to pivot quickly. Your two quarterbacks with game experience, Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie, were both out the door. You were left with redshirt freshman Steele Pizzella and new quarterback recruits Grant Lawless and Gannon Jones. The room clearly needed some stabilization in terms of experience.

It did not take long for Wake Forest to dive into the portal and pick up quarterback Gio Lopez to bring this needed stability. Gio spent the last season as the quarterback of the rival North Carolina Tar Heels under head coach Bill Belichick.

Before this, Gio Lopez had a breakout season at South Alabama, where he starred in an offense that was coordinated by current Wake Forest offensive coordinator Rob Ezell. The quarterback and coach then parted ways after a successful season, and they are now back together in Winston-Salem, where Gio will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Frustrating Season

There are not a lot of positives to take away from Gio's season at UNC. The team struggled greatly offensively throughout the entire season. They never scored 30 points or higher on an FBS opponent all year. They averaged just 19.3 points per game and a mere 288.8 yards per game. They only beat two ACC opponents, bottom-feeders Stanford and Syracuse.

Gio Lopez himself did not have very impressive stats. He threw for 1,747 yards with a 65.1% completion rate and just ten touchdowns. He threw only five interceptions, which shows good ball security. When the Tar Heels played in Winston-Salem this season, Lopez played a rather steady game, but the offense had no running game, and he was facing severe pressure all night.

As you can see, there is clearly some cause for concern with how last season went for Gio as an ACC starter, but I doubt he ever had a chance to be successful in the first place. The team never came together, and the offense was poorly coordinated by former NFL coach Freddie Kitchens, who was fired after just one year at UNC.

Rekindling the Spark

We have discussed the negatives, but now let's shift our attention to the positives. Gio Lopez played at an extremely high level during his time at South Alabama. The offense was efficient, and he was able to thrive as the leading member of it. Well, now he is back with that same OC from South Alabama in Rob Ezell.

At South Alabama in 2024, Gio threw for 2,559 yards with a passer rating of 150.8 and 18 touchdowns. He also ran it for 465 yards and seven touchdowns. The offense under Ezell and Lopez averaged a superb 35.8 points per game with 442.3 yards per game.

Despite mistakes and setbacks at times in the middle of the year, Ezell was able to get good things out of Robby Ashford and this offense, especially towards the end of the year. The offense averaged 28.1 points per game with an average of 393.8 yards per game.

I am hopeful that Gio Lopez can fit right in and continue to grow this Wake Forest offense. He is a much more capable passer than Robby Ashford was, so that is a reason for optimism. Obviously, this addition could go two ways, but I think the familiar QB and OC combination should be able to help boost Wake's offense this upcoming season. Only time will tell. Go Deacs!