Gio Lopez News: Locks down starting role for Week 1

Lopez will get the start against TCU in Week 1, per Brendan Marks of The Athletic.

Lopez has been viewed as the Tar Heels' likely starter since early in fall camp, so this move comes as little surprise. He'll be the starting gunslinger in the first game of the Bill Belichick era. Last year at South Alabama, he tossed for 2,557 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 65.9 percent of his passes. He also ran for 465 yards and five touchdowns.