Another season, another quarterback competition for the UNC football program.
Don't you miss the days when the Tar Heels had their quarterback position fully solidified? Let's face it: we were absolutely spoiled to go from Sam Howell to Drake Maye, as the duo did some great things during their UNC football careers.
This year's quarterback competition is a lot different than last year in a few different ways. For starters, the competitors (other than Max Johnson) are fresh faces to the program. Additionally, a new head coach will be making the final decision, as Bill Belichick looks to find the right guy to lead the program moving forward.
Belichick noted that he won't rush to make a decision, but you'd expect that they'd like to have their starter in place sooner rather than later. One thing's for sure: the Tar Heels hope that the injury bug doesn't hit them at the quarterback spot like it did during the 2024 campaign, as Johnson's season-ending injury in the opener is one that set the tone for a disappointing season in Chapel Hill.
Our 2025 UNC football positional previews start off at the quarterback spot, a position that everyone will be keeping an eye on throughout training camp.
What We Know
The UNC football program has options at the quarterback spot.
This quarterback room features some talented signal-callers, but you know the old saying, if you have two (or more) quarterbacks, you have none."
What we do know is this: the competition features two veterans with vast experience, while there's also a highly-touted freshman who will look to make the case to play right away.
Key Players (In Alphabetical Order)
Bryce Baker
Baker is one of the gems of the 2025 recruiting class for the UNC football program. The four-star prospect put together an outstanding high school career, putting him in a position to be highly-recruited out of high school.
When the Tar Heels made their coaching change, they made it a priority to keep Baker committed to the program. They did just that, as now the Kernersville, North Carolina is on campus competing for playing time.
The question remains: is he ready to be the guy, or does Bill Belichick and staff have a plan to develop him (at least for now)?
2024 Stats (at East Forsyth HS): Threw for 3,523 yards and 40 touchdowns on 228-of-305 passing (74.8%), leading East Forsyth to a 13-1 record and a spot in the state quarterfinals.
Max Johnson
The lone returner in this competition, Johnson is recovering from a gruesome season-ending injury that occurred in his UNC football debut last season.
Looking for an experienced signal-caller in the transfer portal, Mack Brown and the Tar Heels focused on Johnson to be that guy. With experience at both LSU and Texas A&M, Johnson came in and won the job out of training camp, only to have his season derailed during the team's first game of the season.
While Johnson says he's fully cleared, we will have to wait and see if that means competing in pads. He participated in the first day of training camp, one that the Tar Heels weren't in full pads for, as his health will definitely play a role in the brewing quarterback competition.
2024 Stats (One Game): Completed 12 of 19 passes for 71 yards and an interception. He added 10 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
Gio Lopez
Similar to last offseason, the UNC football program went into the transfer portal market and secured a commitment from a left-handed slinging quarterback.
Gio Lopez is that guy they brought in this offseason, a player who tore it up during his sophomore season at South Alabama.
If you're going based on his reported NIL deal (two-years, $4 million) and the fact that he represented the UNC football program at the annual ACC Kickoff Event, you'd expect that Lopez is the clear-cut favorite to start on opening night. However, Belichick isn't tipping his hand just yet.
After considering all the factors, Lopez seems to have an edge in this current quarterback competition. Although that may be the case, it could ultimately change before the 2025 season gets underway.
2024 Stats (at South Alabama): Completed 206 of 312 passes for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns. On the ground, Lopez added 465 rushing yards and seven scores on 83 carries.
Outlook
The state of the quarterback position for the UNC football program will be an interesting storyline to follow throughout the 2025 season. While Tar Heels fans hope that the program doesn't have to go too deep into the depth chart this season, it may be possible that each of the competitors for the starting job gets their opportunity at some point.
What we know is this: whoever is under-center on opening night at TCU has the first crack at securing the job outright. If that student-athlete falters, two capable quarterbacks will be in line waiting for their turn.
Depth Chart
Competing for the Starting Job: Bryce Baker, Max Johnson, Gio Lopez
Presumed Frontrunner: Gio Lopez
Backups: DJ Mazzone, Andres Miyares Jr., Au'Tori Newkirk