CHAPEL HILL – With fall camp starting in a month, uncertainty regarding North Carolina’s quarterback room still hovers above the program.

On the surface, it appears South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez is in the driver’s seat for the starting job, but veteran Max Johnson is healthy he could be in the mix if he's healthy.

And don’t forget uber-talented true freshman Bryce Baker, who arrived at UNC with a higher overall national prospect ranking than Sam Howell and Drake Maye had in their senior years of high school.

Obviously, the rankings have plenty to do with the overall talent and at a players’ respective position group. Expectations, however, are that Baker will serve as an apprentice for someone this season and be better positioned to compete for QB1 in 2026.

For now, Lopez is the lead car in part because Johnson hasn’t been fully cleared as he continues recovering from an injury in last season’s opener that knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Also, Lopez is pretty good.

“He was really productive at South Alabama,” UNC Coach Bill Belichick said during a summer press conference Tuesday at the Kenan Football Center. “He was a dual-threat quarterback. He’s had plenty of production yardage, both running game and a passing game experience.

“Tough kid. Played well against some good competition, teams like LSU. So, looks like he’s definitely ready for this level and we’re excited to work with him.”

In the Jaguars’ loss last fall in Baton Rouge, Lopez completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 172 yards, and a touchdown with no interceptions. He was also credited with 10 runs for 33 yards.

Overall, the 6-foot, 220-pound Lopez was named as a Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt Conference performer last season after completing 65.9% of his pass attempts for 2,557 yards, 18 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He finished the season ranked 22nd nationally in total offense at 274.7 yards per outing. He was credited with 82 runs for an average of 5.7 per attempt. He scored 7 rushing touchdowns and had a long run of 50 yards.

Johnson is easily the most experienced player in the room having attempted 803 passes in his career completing 474 with 47 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Johnson was 12-for-19 with 71 yards before the injury in UNC’s win over Minnesota last season, otherwise, his numbers came splitting time at LSU and Texas A&M before ending up at Carolina.

The broken leg, though, was so severe it kept Johnson at a hospital in Minneapolis for two weeks and required six surgeries. He continues rehabbing and, according to Belichick, is getting closer to full health.

“Max is doing very well,” Belichick said. “His rehab has been long and I have a lot of admiration for him. I mean it was a tough injury but nobody’s worked harder than he has. He certainly is able to do a lot more than he was last spring.

“We’ll see exactly where he is when things start. But it’s a whole lot closer and we certainly expect to see him out there. So, it’s been very encouraging.”

Baker is 6-foot-2 and was rated the No. 79 overall player in the class of 2025. He was No. 8 nationally at his position and No. 3 overall in North Carolina.

By contrast, Howell was No. 111 overall, No. 4 at his position, and No. 2 in North Carolina. Maye was No. 147 overall, No. 9 at his position, and No. 9 in North Carolina.

As talented as he is, the word on Baker is his commitment to the grind.

“The biggest thing that stood out really is his work ethic,” sophomore receiver Jordan Shipp said about Baker. “We’re in the weight room, just stuff off the field… After we lift, me and him do core after, extra stuff after, and a lot of the boys joined in, too. I would say the biggest thing for Bryce that sets him apart is the way he works, the way he approaches everything.

“His preparation is elite. He’s always in there watching film no matter what it is. He’s watching NFL tape. He’s already started watching TCU and stuff like that just getting ready.”

If Johnson is healthy, Lopez shows why he was one of the more sought after quarterbacks in the portal, and Baker matches his rankings, Carolina could be surprisingly in good shape at the most important position.

Uncertainty remains regarding health, experience, and adapting to this level, and until things are sorted out, it will remain a curiosity.