Bill Belichick has always been a guy who keeps things tight-lipped regarding his football teams.
Based on what we know about Belichick, he's the type of guy who probably wouldn't disclose information to even his immediate family. Yes, that includes Jordon Hudson, his girlfriend.
With the UNC football program's ACC opener against Clemson looming, Belichick and the Tar Heels have to decide on who will get the nod at quarterback. Will Gio Lopez be healthy enough to get the start, or will North Carolina need to turn to Max Johnson?
The decision shouldn't be very difficult.
North Carolina should roll with Max Johnson, at least for this week's contest. There's two major reasons why that is the case.
For starters, Lopez has been limited in practice due to injury. Belichick admitted that Lopez did not practice at all last week during the "bye week," and, as of Tuesday morning, was still in doubt to take the field.
Is it really wise to throw Lopez, who likely won't be 100% and hasn't practiced much, out on the field against Clemson?
Bill Belchick says QB Gio Lopez wasn't able to practice last week. UNC had last full practice Wednesday. Will be back today and Belichick says he's not sure what Lopez will be able to do.
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) September 30, 2025
To add to that, the offense has looked better with Johnson leading the charge. Lopez has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the country through four games played, struggling to really get into a rhythm.
In both appearances in relief, Johnson has done a solid job, helping orchestrate some touchdown drives for the offensive unit. Johnson has proven that he's healthy following his gruesome injury a season ago and is chomping at the bit for another opportunity for significant playing time, as this week might just be the best time to experiment with it.
North Carolina's offense could certainly use a spark, one that maybe Johnson could provide. At this point, it doesn't hurt to try, especially given it would give Lopez an additional two weeks to recover from his injury.
If Johnson plays well, he could earn himself another starting opportunity two weeks from Saturday. In the event he struggles, Belichick could immediately turn back to Lopez, citing that he's fully healthy and ready to go.
The decision for this week should be an easy one for the UNC football program, as Max Johnson should be the guy taking the field with the starting offense on Saturday afternoon.