Ex-UNC quarterback describes program as feeling 'like there's no air'

Former North Carolina backmost Gio Lopez had captious words for the Bill Belichick-run programme successful a caller interrogation aft helium transferred from the Tar Heels to Wake Forest.

Lopez transferred to North Carolina earlier the 2025 play from South Alabama. He played successful 11 games for the Tar Heels and had 1,747 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes. North Carolina was 4-8 successful Belichick’s archetypal play astatine the helm.

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North Carolina Tar Heels backmost Gio Lopez celebrates aft scoring a touchdown during the archetypal fractional against the Duke Blue Devils astatine Kenan Stadium successful Chapel Hill, N.C., connected Nov. 22, 2025. (William Howard/Imagn Images)

The erstwhile Tar Heels backmost has been captious of his clip successful North Carolina, and spoke retired again successful an interrogation with ESPN precocious past month.

"Back astatine the different school, it felt similar there's nary air," helium told the outlet. "Here, it's amusive again. They're moving america successful the close direction, energized, and guys are enjoying football. It's similar caller air. I'd ne'er had to respond to pugnacious situations similar that connected that large of a scale."

Belichick spent 24 seasons arsenic the caput manager of the NFL’s New England Patriots and guided the squad to six Super Bowl titles. After leaving the Patriots, Belichick took the Tar Heels’ occupation and brought his NFL acquisition and professionalism to North Carolina.

Lopez said being astatine North Carolina felt "more similar work."

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North Carolina Tar Heels backmost Gio Lopez looks to walk during the 2nd 4th astatine Kenan Stadium successful Chapel Hill, N.C., connected Nov. 8, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

"After that archetypal game, it felt similar getting done the day. You don't privation to unrecorded similar that, wherever you're up astatine nighttime reasoning astir the adjacent day," helium said.

Barney Lopez, Gio’s father, besides criticized the mode the programme was run.

"The concern determination -- I'm not a Super Bowl champion, truthful I don't know, but I don't deliberation it was handled successful the champion mode for assemblage football, for students and players," helium told ESPN. "It acceptable my lad backwards."

Lopez is present connected the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He and redshirt freshman Steele Pizzella are listed connected the extent chart.

The Jake Dickert-led programme was 9-4 successful 2025 and won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Rob Ezell is the team’s violative coordinator.

Wake Forest volition unfastened the play connected Sept. 3 against the Akron Zips.

Head manager Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches the crippled against the California Golden Bears astatine California Memorial Stadium successful Berkeley, Calif., connected Oct. 17, 2025. (Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)

North Carolina’s wide manager Mike Lomdardi defended Belichick from detractors successful March.

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"All during those stormy times, each during erstwhile the vessel was getting capsized, erstwhile radical were attacking america with fake rumors and fake stories each implicit — nobody’s corrected them yet, but that’s OK, we recognize — our players hung together," Lombardi told the "Pat McAfee Show" last month.