Wake Forest is bringing Miami a quarterback who can make a defense pay in more than one way, and Gio Lopez has already shown exactly how dangerous that can get.
The Hurricanes will see Lopez in Week 3 of their 2026 schedule, and the left-handed quarterback arrives with a reputation for holding the ball, hunting explosives and turning broken looks into chunk gains. At 6-feet and 220 pounds, Lopez has thrown for 575 yards with four touchdowns and added 97 rushing yards and two scores while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
What makes this version of Lopez so interesting is the fit. He is on his third school in three years, beginning at South Alabama in 2024, moving to North Carolina in 2025 and now landing at Wake Forest, where he has been reunited with his South Alabama play-caller Rob Ezell.
That reunion has mattered. The 2025 season at UNC did not suit Lopez, who was limited in a pro-style offense and averaged just 6.7 yards per attempt through the air while running for only 12 yards per game.
With Ezell back calling plays at South Alabama and Wake Forest, Lopez is up to 8.4 yards per attempt and 43 rushing yards per game.
The first two games of the season have shown the ceiling. Against Akron, Lopez lit it up for 350 passing yards and three touchdowns. At Purdue last week, he added 225 passing yards and a touchdown while also running for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
Lopez is also the kind of quarterback who likes to let plays develop. His average time to throw this season is 2.94 seconds, which ranks 107th out of the 133 quarterbacks with at least 30 drop backs this season. At North Carolina, his average time to throw was 2.98 seconds, which ranked 111th out of 133 FBS quarterbacks with at least 200 drop-backs.
That patience pays off when the pocket lasts. According to PFF, when Lopez holds the ball longer than 2.5 seconds, he is averaging 10.2 yards per attempt, and 69 percent of his passing yardage production has come in those situations.
The middle of the field is where he has done much of his damage, too. Lopez is 10-of-13 for 172 yards and a touchdown on intermediate throws between 10 and 19 yards downfield.
He has also been better when pressure finds him than when he is kept clean. This season, Lopez is averaging 13.9 yards per attempt with two touchdowns under pressure. When kept clean, he is averaging 8.1 yards per attempt with two touchdowns while totaling 338 yards.
Through two weeks, the defense he has seen most often has been quarters coverage, a look designed to erase deep shots and force the offense to work underneath.
Lopez’s top weapon is Carlos Hernandez, who is second in the country in yards after catch with 169 YAC on the year. Hernandez has 11 catches for 253 yards and a touchdown.
Miami’s defense, meanwhile, comes into the Wake Forest game ranked seventh in the country in opposing quarterback rating. Through two games, quarterbacks are completing 48.5 percent of their passes against the Hurricanes.
Lopez has also been a factor as a runner beyond scrambles alone. He has gained 43 yards scrambling and 66 more on designed runs. Against Purdue, he picked up six first downs with his legs and averaged 2.83 yards per carry after contact.
For Miami, he looks like the toughest quarterback challenge of the first three games. Lopez has the playmaking ability to put stress on the Hurricanes’ defense, and the key for UM will be keeping Wake Forest behind the chains.
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Miami Heads Into Wake Forest With A Depth Problem Fans Feared
Miamis first ACC availability report for the Wake Forest game arrived with a familiar kind of concern for Mario Cristobals defense, as four Hurricanes were listed out because of injuries. Cornerbacks OJ Frederique Jr. and Xavier Lucas, defensive back JaBoree Antoine and tight end Luka Gilbert all landed on the report, leaving Miami to sort through its depth chart with a road trip looming and a few key spots suddenly thinner than expected.
Cristobal offered injury details and recovery timelines for the injured players, but the bigger immediate question is how Miami adjusts on the back end if it has to go without multiple defensive backs. Wake Forest, meanwhile, appears set to go with Gio Lopez, who is listed as probable and expected to start, so the Hurricanes are heading into the matchup knowing the opposing offense should have its quarterback situation settled while theirs carries a little more uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Said What Miami Fans Were Already Thinking
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Herbstreit had already made his feelings known about Miamis Adidas uniforms, and his latest reaction only added to the sense that the apparel change was overdue. With his platform on ESPN and College GameDay, his voice carries plenty of weight, and the enthusiasm around the new Nike era is now part of the broader buzz surrounding Miami as it keeps trying to sharpen its brand on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Just Got An Early Look At A Challenging 2027 ACC Slate
The Atlantic Coast Conference has already given Miami fans a glimpse at what the 2027 football season could look like, and the early returns suggest a demanding league slate. The Hurricanes schedule includes matchups with Cal, Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, a group that should keep the conversation around the program centered on depth, travel and how well Mario Cristobals team handles the grind of ACC play.
One date stands out right away: Wake Forest is set for Friday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, giving Miami another primetime spot on a night stage. Cristobal has already talked about the teams preparation and practice schedule, a reminder that even with the calendar still well ahead, the Hurricanes are thinking about how to manage the work required for a schedule that does not look forgiving from the start. [Read more 🡒]