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Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez talks about why he transferred from #UNC and his love for Belichick
Jul 17, 2026
Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez talks about why he transferred from #UNC and his love for Belichick
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0:00
What do you think the biggest thing was
0:01
that kind of
0:03
what put you back from playing like you
0:04
wanted to play?
0:05
>> Uh I mean I wouldn't focus on like how
0:07
it held me back. I think of the time I
0:09
spent there I was really thankful. I
0:10
learned a lot from Coach Belichick and
0:12
don't change a thing, you know. I would
0:13
people ask me if I would go back in time
0:14
and change it. I wouldn't. I learned a
0:15
lot from him. Ups and flows happen.
0:18
Didn't get to perform how I wanted to,
0:19
but I think overall it was a
0:20
the opportunity to play there it was it
0:21
was awesome. I don't have anything that
0:22
I would change.
0:24
>> How limiting for you that team I I know
0:26
you won't talk about this year's team,
0:27
but they all morning they talked about
0:29
like all the players in the spring and
0:31
you weren't there in the spring. Did
0:32
that really help the program back?
0:34
What's your assessment of how that
0:35
affected you guys this year?
0:36
>> I think it does. Of course like when we
0:37
came when I came in in the spring it was
0:39
I think it was one of 75 or something
0:41
like that all came in the spring. It was
0:42
a lot of us. So it was getting to know
0:43
each other. We didn't have a lot of time
0:44
to like build a bond and stuff like
0:46
that. Of course throughout the season we
0:47
built the bond through you know
0:49
adversity, but I think kind of showed
0:50
towards the back end of the season a
0:51
little bit we were playing better
0:52
together, but I think overall it was
0:54
just kind of just didn't work itself
0:55
out. That's all that
0:56
>> How How hard was it mentally going
0:58
through just national spotlight and the
1:00
criticism and then how can you contrast
1:03
that to how you're feeling now? You know
1:04
Wake Forest is a brand new start.
1:06
>> Oh you know criticism happens. It was
1:08
something good for me was I luckily
1:09
deleted social media right before the
1:10
TCU game. So you know I got to I didn't
1:12
have to experience all of that, but I
1:13
think for me it was just my parents to
1:15
lean on my mom and dad and being able to
1:17
talk to them no matter what was going on
1:19
and then Coach Belichick was always just
1:20
being super supportive of me making sure
1:22
I'm doing good and all that. He was he
1:23
was amazing for me. And then we got
1:24
Billy Jean as well and Coach Matt
1:25
Lombardi.
1:26
>> Gio, how different has your experience
1:28
been at Wake Forest? Like you said
1:29
you're a re-signee from your former OC.
1:31
Just how different has this process
1:33
been?
1:33
>> Oh it's been it's been different of
1:35
course like just being back in the
1:36
offense I'm comfortable in and Coach
1:37
Zolak knows my strengths. He's known me
1:39
since I was 16 recruiting me out of high
1:40
school. So I think just being back with
1:41
him and then Coach Dicker just great
1:43
energy. It's been awesome to be in that
1:44
building and then just just work out
1:46
with the guys that are around us that I
1:47
love football.
1:48
>> Dicker said he wants to bring the best
1:49
out of you. Do you think he's doing that
1:50
and if so how?
1:51
>> Absolutely. I think he does he knows me.
1:53
He
1:54
he bought into me. He learned me. We
1:56
went on lunch you know, lunch dates,
1:58
lunch outings together and stuff like
2:00
that. Just Just to get to know each
2:01
other even more and I think he just
2:02
truly cares about not just me, but every
2:04
player playing to the best of their
2:05
ability. So, he does a great job getting
2:07
the best out of everybody.
2:07
>> And since you've gotten here, how have
2:09
you just grasped this offense and made
2:10
it your own and been a leader in that
2:12
room?
2:13
>> Well, you know, it was really easy for
2:14
me to grasp the offense off the fact I
2:15
already played in it. So, just being
2:16
able to communicate to the guys that
2:17
came in and the players that were
2:19
already there, me having an
2:20
understanding of like, "Hey, on this
2:21
route, I need this." or stuff like that.
2:23
Being able to communicate everything and
2:25
telling them what I want and what I what
2:26
I need done for we can be the best of
2:28
our execution. I think that's kind of
2:30
been a great thing for our team.
2:31
>> TV, you spoke to you one of the things
2:32
that would you say the allure when Bill
2:35
Belichick took over was the ability for
2:37
you to play for a Super Bowl winning
2:39
coach, a guy that obviously was part of
2:41
Tom Brady? What were you able to take
2:43
from that experience? Obviously,
2:46
the situation didn't turn out, but you
2:47
had a guy that won Super Bowls, coached
2:49
Tom Brady, and a lot of great games.
2:51
>> Yeah, I mean, I take away so much from
2:52
Coach Belichick. It was just watching
2:54
film, paying attention to just small
2:55
details that I wouldn't have paid
2:56
attention to when I was younger, or just
2:58
the aspect of
2:59
like how you go through your
3:00
progression, how to stay in the pocket.
3:01
He taught me a whole bunch. I wouldn't
3:02
Everything I learned from Coach
3:03
Belichick I still use to this day. It's
3:04
nothing Everything like the opportunity
3:06
that was once in a lifetime.
3:07
>> Seeing what this team did a year ago,
3:09
what's the excitement level for you to
3:10
feel like you can be that piece to kind
3:12
of take them to another step?
3:14
>> Yeah, I'm super excited. I mean, the
3:16
they had a lot of you know, production
3:17
returned back and then the new guys that
3:19
we brought in are great players and I
3:20
was able to, you know, since I committed
3:22
early, I was able to be helpful in that
3:23
recruitment process and be able to bring
3:24
guys like Cam Shankton and Nike Carter
3:26
to the table. So, I think just the
3:28
aspect of being able to take the offense
3:29
to the next level and paying attention
3:31
to some of those games that they were
3:32
winning, offense was only scoring
3:34
seven, eight points and stuff like that.
3:35
I think
3:36
that aspect I'm excited about to be able
3:38
to flourish more of our offense.
3:39
>> Last year, you missed some games because
3:41
of injury, but when you were playing,
3:42
were you ever 100%?
3:45
>> Uh, I mean, I had a I had a tough deal.
3:47
I remember I had a car accident right
3:48
before the first game of the season. So,
3:49
that It of rough. Came out like
3:51
mid-season that I was in an accident,
3:52
but I mean, of course, I mean, you have
3:54
to have the football football, but I was
3:55
I was pretty
3:57
I hope that was said during the back end
3:59
of the season before the NC State game.
4:01
>> How are you approaching this new season?
4:03
>> Uh the way I approach it, I'm just
4:04
excited about it, you know, I was just I
4:06
felt like going to the UNC is just felt
4:08
like there's so many eyes like I just
4:09
got to perform, I got to perform. But
4:10
being back in the aspect of just
4:11
thinking about like, "Hey, let me play,
4:13
like be myself, play with Coach Ezzell,
4:14
like he knows how to put me in the right
4:16
situation, trust in the offense." Just
4:17
excited and I'm like really bought in
4:19
and connected with the guys on my team.
4:20
>> One of the one of the things that
4:22
advantages for you is being a dual
4:23
threat. Do you feel like that Carolina
4:26
didn't really use your running ability
4:28
as much as they should have?
4:30
>> I don't have a particular feel towards
4:31
anything, you know, Coach Kitchens
4:32
called the offense and I was just trying
4:33
to execute it. I wouldn't say there's
4:35
anything about that, but you know, I'm
4:36
excited I know Coach Ezzell's going to
4:37
put me in some more running situations
4:39
and let me be an athlete, so I'm looking
4:40
forward to it.
4:41
>> Well, we know that Bel- Belichick
4:43
obviously a low-key even demeanor
4:45
demeanor, but what are your thoughts
4:47
about Dicker? He seems like a
4:49
high-energy guy where his energy is as
4:52
contagious as a chicken pox or the
4:53
measles.
4:55
>> Yeah, Coach uh Coach
4:57
Coach Dicker has a lot of energy.
4:58
>> you you like that line.
4:59
>> Yeah, Coach Dicker has a lot of energy.
5:00
I remember our first team meeting it was
5:02
6:00 a.m. And I remember it was 5:45
5:04
where he has music blasting he's playing
5:06
basketball like in the team room playing
5:08
one-on-one against guys and I was coming
5:10
off of a different different, you know,
5:12
kind of energy, so it just it brings you
5:14
in. It makes you want to be comfortable
5:15
fast. You everyone's like feels like
5:17
family. You know these guys like how you
5:18
know everyone else like your family
5:19
members. So I think it just it makes you
5:21
want to be bought in being around Coach
5:22
Dicker.
5:22
>> And and there's playing in the state of
5:24
North Carolina, there's no shortage of
5:26
teams there you got. We you got Wake,
5:28
you got Duke, you got NC State and North
5:31
Carolina. And then if you have that's
5:33
worthwhile, just go down 85 you get
5:34
Clemson. What are your thoughts about
5:36
the type of
5:38
competition in the conference let alone
5:40
in the Carolinas per se?
5:41
>> I think the conference is very
5:42
competitive, but I think it's really I
5:43
think it's pretty neat to have like so
5:45
many schools so close to each other.
5:46
Keeps the rivalry alive. and makes you
5:48
want to compete against those guys and
5:49
some of those guys you see like hang out
5:51
with. So it's like kind of interesting
5:53
like be able to be around guys that
5:54
you're so close to. Like so it's pretty
5:55
interesting the kind of rivalry they
5:57
have in North Carolina.
5:57
>> And by the way, you're free to use that
5:59
contagious line with me. So just check
6:00
it out.
6:01
>> I will I will I will make sure to keep
6:02
that in the book.
6:02
>> I have a feeling you will. As long as
6:04
you're performing well on the field, I
6:06
don't care where the heck you got it.
6:07
Thanks, buddy.
6:07
>> sir. Thank you.
6:08
>> Jae, you've called Wake a breath of
6:10
fresh air. What's the biggest thing
6:11
you've learned about yourself in the
6:12
past couple of years in the football
6:14
journey?
6:15
>> Uh learn about myself.
6:17
Uh I would say uh just
6:20
learn about myself. I'd say just I
6:21
learned how to like deal with adversity
6:23
a lot more. But I just also just I'm a
6:25
pretty uh I just like being comfortable
6:27
in situations and I know like Coach Izzo
6:28
is someone that's made me comfortable to
6:30
be back with them and stuff like that.
6:32
So I think just being comfortable is my
6:33
my big aspect towards it.
6:34
>> Who did you Where did you uh come to the
6:36
decision that it was time to move on
6:37
from Carolina? And what went into that?
6:40
Uh were there discussions with the
6:41
Carolina coaches? How did that work out?
6:44
>> Uh I mean, it it kind of came about.
6:46
Everything I new offensive coordinator,
6:47
a lot of stuff played into it. But I
6:49
mean, the discussion was, you know,
6:50
pretty quick. Uh coaches were
6:52
understanding. Um
6:53
all the coaches were really nice. Like
6:55
honestly, Coach Belichick, like when I
6:57
saw him I was excited to see him. Like
6:58
I'm just I'm still I have great love for
7:00
all the coaches. So it wasn't no bad
7:01
blood or anything. Just a situation that
7:02
didn't work out.
7:03
>> Now I understand you you talked to him
7:04
yesterday and and you embraced. Can you
7:06
tell me about that?
7:07
>> Yeah, I mean, Coach Belichick was always
7:08
in my corner. When I saw him I was happy
7:10
to see him. I gave him a big old hug,
7:11
dapped him up, you know. He's I love
7:12
playing for Coach Belichick. He's a
7:13
great guy.
7:14
>> When you When you were on the podium,
7:16
you talked about Coach Tucker not seeing
7:17
you as a number, maybe not seeing you
7:20
maybe people not making decisions for
7:22
financial reasons. Do you feel like some
7:23
of that played a role in your decision
7:25
to go to Carolina? That the lure of
7:27
playing for Belichick, the the dollars
7:29
that were put in front of you, and maybe
7:30
you made a decision that hindsight
7:32
was was not the best for you.
7:34
>> Yeah, of course. I mean, when you look
7:34
back at things, you can hindsight say it
7:36
and say like, "Oh, that wasn't the right
7:37
decision." Right? But when you look back
7:39
at it, if I was back where in 2025 in
7:41
the spring, I would have did it again.
7:42
Playing for Coach Belichick was an
7:43
opportunity that not a lot of people
7:45
would have passed up, I don't think. And
7:46
I still the opportunity to say I played
7:47
for him and down the years be able to
7:49
look back at it and be like, "Hey, I
7:50
played for Coach Belichick." It's an
7:51
opportunity a lot of people can say. So,
7:53
I have nothing against what I'm saying,
7:54
and I think uh
7:56
I think it didn't play a factor in the
7:58
um financial aspect of things. It was
7:59
just an opportunity to play for a um
8:01
greatest head coach of all time.
8:02
>> When you look at their program moving
8:04
forward, obviously I know you're at Wake
8:05
Forest now, but do you get a sense that
8:08
he knows what what he's doing at the
8:09
head coach spot like he can get that
8:11
thing turned around?
8:12
>> Yeah, I have I have full uh I have full
8:14
belief in Coach Belichick that he's
8:15
going to get it all turned around. I
8:16
mean, they got great players over there.
8:18
I'm excited to see what they do. I'm
8:19
still super supportive of all the
8:20
players over there. I love them. Love
8:21
those guys. Was happy to see Ship and
8:22
Crystal and Mel Carter. I I love them.
8:25
So, like I hope to see them be have a
8:27
great year.
8:28
>> What are your ideas of maybe having Mel
8:30
Carter rushing you next season?
8:33
>> Uh so, we don't play them. Uh sadly, we
8:34
don't get to play UNC, but you know, if
8:36
we if we do get to play each other, I'll
8:37
make sure to look out for Mel Carter.
8:39
>> Is there a certain aspect to your game
8:40
or level to your game that you feel like
8:42
you ACC fans didn't see
8:44
at UNC last year of you that you can
8:46
you're hoping to show them at Wake
8:48
Forest?
8:48
>> No, I wasn't able to get use my legs as
8:50
much as I wanted to last year. I think
8:51
that's an aspect I didn't get to show as
8:52
well, but I think you know, overall just
8:55
my game as a whole is going to be at a
8:57
a higher level playing for Coach Ezzell
8:58
and just being back to my normal self.
9:00
>> How can you tell that already? What do
9:01
you What
9:02
>> I'm just going through spring ball. Just
9:03
I just feel real comfortable with the
9:04
calls and being able to go through my
9:05
progression and you know, you you're
9:07
only going to play as good as how
9:08
comfortable you are. If you're not
9:09
comfortable on offense, you're not going
9:10
to play as good as you can. So, being
9:11
comfortable on the offense and trusting
9:13
the play caller is a big aspect of
9:14
everything.
9:15
>> Because of your background, was it
9:16
pretty easy to kind of step back into it
9:17
and and kind of
9:18
>> Yeah.
9:19
>> hit the ground running in that way?
9:20
>> easy to step into. A lot of people don't
9:21
understand that. Since I had transferred
9:22
in the spring, I was only out of
9:24
Ezzell's offense for 8 months. So, I was
9:26
like pretty kind of step back into it
9:27
pretty quickly. So, it was all good
9:28
there.
9:30
>> What's the key to learning Ezzell's
9:31
offense?
9:32
>> Key to learning Ezzell's offense,
9:35
I would say you don't want to learn I
9:36
would say you got to learn a formation
9:37
of course, but I think just
9:39
uh everyone has different learning
9:40
tools, but for him just understanding
9:42
how a lot of plays tie into each other,
9:43
a lot of a lot of concepts are playing
9:45
off of one another. So, if you can learn
9:47
those things and understand like the
9:49
aspect that he's asking you for and he's
9:50
asking you for and routes. If you can do
9:51
that, you can win a lot.
9:53
>> Being a younger coordinator, does he
9:55
does that help you relate better
9:57
especially at the quarterback position?
9:59
>> I think him being a younger coordinator
10:01
plays a good part in him having so much
10:03
um
10:04
just having so much thought process
10:05
towards things. Like a lot of older
10:06
coordinators kind of get uh dry or get
10:09
um dull with the offense. With him being
10:10
a young guy, everything he thinks of he
10:12
thinks is gold. So, when he comes up
10:14
with it, he's like, "Let's try." And
10:16
then it ends up working. So, stuff like
10:17
that I think he keeps them since him
10:18
being a young guy keeps them
10:19
enthusiastic and looking to do new
10:21
things and how we can, you know, take
10:23
the next step. So, I think that's a
10:24
great thing.
10:25
>> That's a good point.
10:26
Is the dynamic of also having a
10:28
professional coach when coach Yano's
10:29
different for you?
10:30
>> Absolutely. Coach Yano's I mean he's
10:32
this is his 35th year. So, he's coached
10:34
a lot of guys.
10:35
And uh you know, it's being able to
10:36
watch the tape of guys he's coached and
10:37
he's played at the played at the
10:39
Michigan State playing quarterback. He's
10:40
a great, you know, great guy to learn
10:42
from. He's my favorite QB coach I've
10:44
ever had in the sense of just learning
10:45
from him and teaching me footwork and
10:47
making me a better player. I've learned
10:48
so much from watching tape from and just
10:49
love him as a person. He looks out for
10:51
me. He's he's texting me just by his own
10:54
back in back in home in Florida just
10:55
just checking in on me. I love playing
10:57
for him.
10:58
>> Do you think the you said you were out
10:59
of the offense eight months you come
11:01
back to the offense.
11:02
Is there something you gained
11:05
I know you said you didn't run as much,
11:06
but is there something you think you
11:07
would really gained or maybe maybe your
11:08
coaches have told you that
11:10
in this other offense now you're back in
11:11
it, but hey you know what you picked
11:13
something different here. You're more
11:14
poised. You I don't know. So, is there
11:16
something that
11:17
>> I think the big thing for me was just
11:18
getting that getting to my progression.
11:19
When I was at South Alabama, I was kind
11:21
of one to two to run. And being at UNC
11:24
with coach Fedora playing a more pro
11:25
style offense with coach Kitchens, I
11:27
was, you know, one two three four having
11:29
to get to progression to four empty set
11:30
getting to my fifth read. So, stuff like
11:32
that, being able to get to my
11:33
progression and understanding the
11:34
offense and then taking care of
11:36
protections as well, just kind of going
11:38
back into Eza's offense and knowing it,
11:39
but also being able to add to it was
11:41
something that's been a huge factor.
11:43
>> You You were talking North Carolina on
11:45
the schedule this year. Is there a game
11:46
that stands out there that you say I
11:48
know I know every game the cliche answer
11:49
is oh yeah, you know, we want to do it,
11:51
but is there one maybe that you're just
11:52
saying I'm looking forward to that one?
11:54
>> No, everyone, you know, I'm looking
11:55
forward to every game, of course, but my
11:56
my big one's SMU cuz I'm pretty close
11:58
with Kevin Jennings and then Akil
12:00
Washington, the end over there. We
12:01
played at South Alabama together. He's
12:02
like one of my best friends, so I'm
12:03
looking forward to playing them.
12:05
>> Awesome.
12:06
>> Is there a vibe on the team, an attitude
12:08
on the team because they had, you know,
12:09
success last year? Can you Could you
12:11
tell coming into it that, you know, that
12:12
they're carrying themselves a certain
12:14
way because of of of last year?
12:15
>> Yeah, you got to think they played the
12:16
Duke's Mayo Bowl, I think, December 2nd
12:19
or 3rd, something something I mean not I
12:21
mean January
12:22
1st or 2nd or 3rd. So, with them playing
12:24
that late, I we had to be back to 7, so
12:26
those guys were fresh off of just
12:27
playing the game and winning having a
12:28
winning season. So, I think the energy
12:30
really flew right flew right back into
12:32
the off season because they just came
12:33
off a winning season. It just made me
12:34
want to hit the hit the ground running
12:36
as well.
12:37
>> The The one more UNC question. You know,
12:39
obviously that first drive
12:41
of the season, you're thinking, man,
12:43
this is going to be great.
12:44
>> Yeah.
12:45
>> What What do you think went wrong last
12:47
season?
12:49
>> I mean, it it it just didn't work itself
12:51
out. I mean, everyone, you know, you can
12:52
say you can point fingers, point say
12:54
different things, but I think overall it
12:55
just didn't work itself out.
12:57
>> Was there a
12:58
a shell-shocked nature on the team of
13:00
like everyone kind of beginning the
13:01
season thinking, okay, well, it's going
13:02
to be a great year because of the new
13:04
coach and all that and then at at some
13:05
point everyone's like, you know, what
13:07
what you know, what what's going on
13:08
here? What's happening? Was there any
13:10
sense of that?
13:11
>> Oh, I mean
13:12
>> Disbelief kind of thing or
13:13
>> I mean, you can say that when we lost to
13:14
TCU, but I think a lot of guys like
13:16
we're just all just love We all love to
13:17
love playing football. So, playing for
13:18
Coach Belichick was an opportunity no
13:19
one wanted to pass up or, you know, let
13:21
go to waste. So, I think we did a great
13:23
job like trying to finish the season and
13:24
keep playing in competitive games cuz we
13:26
could have rolled over like we and like
13:27
not give a not care about the season,
13:29
but I think we kept playing hard and
13:31
ended up winning some, you know, close
13:32
games at the end of the season that I'm
13:33
proud of.
13:34
>> When you when you
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