Belichick and the Tar Heels chose pursuing Lopez over former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who is also in the transfer portal. Following his commitment to North Carolina, Lopez sent out a five-word message to the team and Belichick on social media. "Excited and grateful, go Heels!" the post read.

Bill Belichick is apparently no Rodney Dangerfield when it comes to going back to school, with the gruff coach failing, as of a month or two ago, to endear himself to those in the program, according to Tom Curran, a longtime Boston reporter who covered Belichick.