North Carolina, Bill Belichick expected to retain QB for 2026 season

North Carolina football endured a rigid start to the Bill Belichick era. The offseason already began with losing top defender Tyler Thompson to the College Football Transfer Portal. However, one key offensive performer is likely running it back in Chapel Hill in Gio Lopez.

The quarterback Lopez is expected to remain with UNC, per college football insider Pete Nakos of On3/Rivals on Monday night.

Lopez won the starting role in coming over from South Alabama back in April. He became the first prominent portal addition under Belichick’s transition to the college game after a near three-decade run as an NFL head coach.

Lopez flashed some dual-threat abilities at UNC — combining for 1,880 yards and 13 touchdowns.

North Carolina ushering a new offense under Bill Belichick

With Lopez on his way back, he’ll be working in a new system.

Belichick tabbed Bobby Petrino to lead the Tar Heels offense in 2026. Petrino is fresh off leading Arkansas on an interim head coach basis following the firing of Sam Pittman.

Petrino and Belichick share NFL head coaching experience — although the former had a brief, infamous HC run. He left the Atlanta Falcons after 13 games to take over at Arkansas in the 2007 season.

The 64-year-old, though, comes with a deep background in QB play. He’s best know for turning Lamar Jackson into a Heisman Trophy winner at Louisville. He also briefly coached a young freshman named Marcel Reed at Texas A&M in 2023.

Belichick will hope Petrino’s arrival can change a dismal offensive showing from 2025. UNC ranked dead last with averaging only 289.2 yards per game.

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