The very reason Bill Belichick was hired at UNC played out during the ACC Kickoff. The minute he left the hall after his press conference, the majority of the room filtered out as well. That’s what makes UNC football so interesting this season. An underdog team under the tutelage of a redemption-seeking coaching juggernaut makes for an odd but attention-grabbing pair. The legendary coach has a troubling problem with the position that brought him success during his prime years in the NFL, and who gets to carry that Tom Brady mantle at Chapel Hill is a story that can go two ways.

“Ladies and [gentlemen], this is not Deion Sanders coming back to college for a couple of obvious reasons. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. [Bill Belichick] doesn’t have anyone like that; therefore, the eyes of the nation will be there on opening night, maybe a second or third time. But it’s not going to be must-see TV,” Paul Finebaum said, tearing into the Tar Heels squad that will debut this season. The 73-year-old has overwhelmingly retooled the squad, building a new team from scratch. And because this is a new team, all eyes will be on its QB1. That battle is still underway between returnee Max Johnson and transfer QB Gio Lopez.

Lopez looked like the ideal option to win the role until recently. Johnson is now back up and running, which means he will give his level best to get his crown back for the 2025 season. ESPN’s Wes Durham says Johnson has the edge here, in a July 23 chat with 99.9 The Fan. Interestingly, Max’s father, Brad Johnson, an NFL star, won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay, Brady’s last franchise. Wes Durham added, “And if so, Max Johnson is able to return to the competition. Gio Lopez, more of a dual threat now. Tough guy, unhealthy, got banged up a lot in the Sun Belt last year. That’s a yellow light for me.” Lopez was hand-picked by Belichick out of South Alabama after throwing for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 66% of his passes last year. Max Johsnon, however, is recovering better than expected, which will twist Belichick’s QB1 dilemma some more.

“I was surprised in some of the rehab stuff on social media and going, ‘Wow, that’s significantly better than I thought he was going to be at that time.’ Could just be, you know, three good reps he had that day. But it is a little interesting that he’s putting it out there,” Tim Donnelly remarked.

When Belichick arrived, the QB1 position demanded a lot of his attention, and chances are, he might get it right. After Johnson was ruled out, he was replaced by Conner Harrell, who proved to be unsuccessful, as did fellow QB Jacolby Criswell. With no reliable option, Belichick went to the transfer portal and swayed Lopez over to Chapel Hill. The problem is, both have their own unique gifts they’ll be bringing to the position.

However, Johnson outshines Lopez when it comes to experience. But there are some clear inconsistencies in his career so far. He started strong in his freshman year with LSU, registering 1,069 yards in just 6 games. Next year, he threw for more than 2,000 yards. But since then, he hasn’t been able to hold on to a starting role for the whole season. Debuting last year as the leader of the Tar Heels’ offense, he had to tap out in the very first game after a brutal injury. That doesn’t paint a reliable picture for Johnson to be the 2025 season’s QB1. On the other hand, Gio Lopez also missed out on some game time during the 2024 season due to injuries. He comes with a total of 3,034 yards and 22 TDs, while Johnson comes with 5,923 yards, 47 TDs.

While that’s that, his fight with Johnson for the QB1 spot will likely have a lot more twists and turns, but the fans are eagerly awaiting the victor. And for Lopez, maybe it’s time to implement those Tom Brady lessons.

Gio Lopez is looking up to Bill Belichick’s Patriots legacy for inspiration

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady were an unstoppable duo during the peak Patriots period. After all, he is the same coach whose legacy is evident in the New England Patriots’ history, with 6 Super Bowls and an incredible 249-75 regular season record. Despite the complex history between Tom Brady and Belichick, the success they achieved together speaks volumes. They led the team to 17 AFC East titles with 30 playoff victories.

However, by the end of their longstanding tenure with the franchise, Brady wanted no more of New England. Their relationship might be history, but what is Belichick without the man who made him the most feared coach in the NFL? Lopez finds immense inspiration in Brady, as Belichick uses Patriots footage in the UNC film room.

He told 99.9 The Fan in a July 24 episode, “That’s a big difference. You know, this is really cool coming from a G5, usually just watch yourself or where your coach was before then. But now it’s like, we have all this NFL tape, and I’m like, ‘Why would I not take advantage of being able to watch almost every game that’s been recorded about the Patriots?’”

“Belichick is honestly super cool about talking through stuff. We’ll still watch tape of Brady, and he’ll literally say like, ‘Ah, he messed us up. I don’t like this. Like, I don’t like how Brady did this.’ And you’re like, ‘Oh, okay. Like, he’s still really hard on him, too. And he’s not even coaching him anymore,” added Lopez.

Lopez was formerly a G5 QB. And now, he’s making a big jump to the Power 4. Having footage from one of the best franchises of the NFL to learn from ups the ante even more.

However, he will not win an easy shot at replicating a Belichick-Brady 2.0 at Chapel Hill, because he has to beat Max Johsnon first. Both QBs have an equal opportunity of bagging the role. Interestingly, the duo was invited to the Manning Passing Academy to show off their skills. This means that both Johnson and Lopez are quarterbacks who have great potential. But at the end of the day, there will only be one victor for Bill Belichick.