Although UNC football coach Bill Belichick loves to talk X’s and O’s in just about any setting, he’s always been savvy enough to know when to be secretive with the media.
So when WRAL's Pat Welter tried to get a read on who UNC's starting quarterback will be for the Sept. 1 opener against TCU at Wednesday's press conference, Belichick answered, but not really.
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“Yeah, we're getting ready to do that this afternoon, announce the starting lineups and the play times and how we'd be substituting and everything. Brandon [Faber] will get that to you as soon as we get done," Belichick said in referencing a UNC communications staffer. "We want to make sure we get that out there right away.”
Through his personal brand of dry, deadpan humor, the six-time Super Bowl champion showed the level of discretion his operation carried throughout the New England Patriots dynasty has come with him to Chapel Hill. Even with the first game less than two weeks away, that’s no surprise. But there’s still uncertainty around the Tar Heels’ roster and talent level with around 70 new players and a new coaching staff leading them. UNC was picked to finish eighth in the ACC preseason media poll.
For comparison’s sake, NC State returnee CJ Bailey is the definite starter and Darian Mensah’s high-profile transfer from Tulane to Duke makes him the likely starter in Durham. The Tar Heels are more unsettled at quarterback, with the only returning one on the roster being Max Johnson, who’s coming off a major leg injury. Jacolby Criswell transferred to East Tennessee State after starting 12 games in 2024 for UNC.
Much of the talk around fans and prognosticators have Gio Lopez as most likely to get the Week 1 nod. The South Alabama transfer threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He’s a 6-foot, 220-pound left-hander with three years of eligibility remaining. Lopez was a team representative at ACC Kickoff last month.
"I didn't enter the portal to not be a starter, I can assure you of that fact," Lopez told the Madison (Alabama) Record in the spring.
Johnson played in the season opener last year at Minnesota before breaking his femur in the third quarter. A monumental effort led to Johnson taking the first reps during individual drills at the start of fall camp. Johnson played at LSU and Texas A&M before transferring to UNC. East Forsyth High School graduate Bryce Baker is a true freshman.
While Belichick may not be comfortable sharing where his staff is leaning between Lopez and Johnson, he did say that players are starting to acquiesce and some are distancing themselves from the rest.
The Heels face tall tasks in replacing NFL first-round pick Omarion Hampton’s production (1,660 rushing yards, 17 total touchdowns) and repairing a defense that was among the worst-performing and most penalized in the ACC and the country last season.
“There’s no doubt some players have separated themselves from others and that’s a big part of what last week and this week are about - the evaluations and the separations,” Belichick said. “I think that will be finalized at a later point in time, but certainly there’s starting to be some separation.”
“I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of things change from where we are now to a week from now, but we'll just have to see how that turns out,” he continued. “I can't tell you how players are going to perform. That'll be up to them.”
The Tar Heels finished 6-7 last year, losing their bowl game, surrendering leads in losses to rivals Duke and NC State, and had a historically bad defensive effort in a 70-50 loss to James Madison.
“It's all about fundamentals,” Belichick said. “There are times when we do things well and they look good, and then there's times when we fundamentally don't do things well and they don't look good. And so it's really about consistency.”
Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was seen holding a tablet at practice on Wednesday. In May, a report circulated that Hudson was banned from UNC football facilities. The university denied that report.
Hudson was standing among a group that included other team family members and UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts.