Sources: South Alabama QB Lopez to enter portal

South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, sources told ESPN on Monday.

Lopez, who recorded 2,559 passing yards and 25 total touchdowns as a redshirt freshman last fall, immediately emerges as one of the top available quarterbacks in the spring portal window, which runs from April 16 through April 25.

Sources told ESPN that North Carolina stands as the expected leader to land Lopez, who has not yet entered the transfer portal.

The 6-foot, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback produced a breakout campaign in 2024, completing 66% of his passes and tossing 18 touchdowns in 11 starts with 465 rushing yards and another seven scores on the ground. After initially considering a move in the winter portal window, Lopez opted to remain at South Alabama earlier in the offseason and was set to return as one of the Group of 5's top quarterbacks this fall.

A former three-star recruit out of Madison, Alabama, Lopez signed as the third-ranked member of the Jaguars' 2023 recruiting class. He appeared in five games in his true freshman season in 2023, highlighted by an MVP performance against Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

Lopez won the South Alabama starting job as a redshirt freshman and led the Jaguars to a 7-6 finish in coach Major Applewhite's first season as head coach. He set the program's single-game record for total offense with 494 yards in South Alabama's Week 1 loss to North Texas last fall.

Lopez would enter the portal as one of the few available quarterbacks with previous starting experience, joining fellow passers Brendan Sullivan (Iowa) and Zach Gibson (Georgia State).

Sources told ESPN that North Carolina and Wake Forest are two schools that Lopez has already been in contact with this spring. Georgia, LSU and Ohio State previously expressed interest in Lopez earlier this offseason.