North Carolina football received the belief Gio Lopez wasn't going anywhere before Christmas. But Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels watched Lopez drift off — and land at rival Wake Forest.
The dual-threat southpaw QB signed with the Demon Deacons, Pete Nakos of On3/Rivals confirmed on Wednesday.
Lopez jammed from UNC following the commitment of Billy Edwards Jr. via the College Football Transfer Portal. Edwards Jr. comes over via Wisconsin.
Now the Tar Heels are losing their starter to an in-state rival. Lopez leaves Chapel Hill throwing for only 1,747 yards and tossed 10 touchdowns. He added 133 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. But he took 20 sacks and was picked off five times.
Has North Carolina, Bill Belichick witnessed roster attrition?
Lopez rises as the more high-profile departure — as UNC immediately makes a QB change in the Belichick era.
The legendary head coach has lost other notable performers. Edge rusher Tyler Thompson jumped into the portal on Dec. 17, causing UNC to lose its highest graded player per Pro Football Focus.
Thompson starred for the renown defensive whiz Belichick; piling eight tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He also forced two fumbles in 2025.
UNC even lost one other QB, with Bryce Baker dipping into the portal market too. He's one of an astonishing 30 players leaving Belichick.
The six-time Super Bowl winning head coach endured a rigid start to his college coaching chapter. North Carolina started the season in embarrassing fashion with a 48-14 loss at home to TCU. Four more teams dropped 30 or more on Belichick's team including traditional rival Duke.
Lopez heads to a team that vastly improved under their first-year head coach. Jake Dickert came to Wake Forest via Washington State and delivered a 9-4 campaign — improving from 4-8 the previous year.
UNC and Wake Forest aren't scheduled to face each other in the 2026 season.
