“Looks 35 years old,” “Finna be a dawg”: CFB fans react to UNC coach Bill Belichick naming Gio Lopez as starting QB for 2025 season

Bill Belichick has announced who will be the North Carolina Tar Heels' starting quarterback for the 2025 season. During Wednesday's press conference, he named South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez as the QB1 for their season opener against the TCU Horned Frogs on Monday.

Lopez spent the past two seasons with South Alabama. He played in 16 total games for the team while being named the team's starting quarterback last season. He recorded a total of 3,034 yards and 22 passing TDs while leading the Jaguars to a 7-6 record and a Salute to Veterans Bowl victory over Western Michigan last season.

Fans shared their reactions to Bill Belichick's starting quarterback for his debut collegiate campaign with the Tar Heels.

"Looks 35 years old," one fan commented.

"We already knew this," another fan said.

"Bro finna be a dawg," a fan wrote.

Comments on post (Source: @On3/Instagram)

"He was (fire) last year. Excited to watch him play this year," another fan said.

"THATS MY QUARTERBACK GO HEELS," one fan wrote.

"Lol not like we had another real option," a fan commented.

Apart from Lopez, Belichick has Max Johnson, Bryce Barker, Au'Tori Newkirk, Andres Miyares Jr. and DJ Mazzone on the quarterback depth chart. Last season under ex-head coach Mack Brown, the Tar Heels finished with a 6-7 record and a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn. With Belichick's arrival, the program is looking to finally make a breakthrough in football and achieve success just like they do in NCAAB.

Bill Belichick shares his honest take on Gio Lopez as UNC's starting quarterback

While announcing the South Alabama transfer as his QB1, Bill Belichick also shared his take on Gio Lopez as a player.

The six-time Super Bowl champ heaped praise on him as a talented signal caller, while also appreciating the work he's put in during the offseason.

"Gio's made a ton of progress," Belichick said. "We have evaluated things through training camp, and as we now get ready for TCU, he'll be our starting quarterback. So, we'll give him the majority of the reps in practice and make sure we get him as much preparation as possible. But everybody needs to be ready to go."

A new era for the Tar Heels begins on Monday at Chapel Hill. Can Bill Belichick help the program become a strong contender for the playoffs?

How do you think the North Carolina Tar Heels will fare next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by Veer Badani