Alright, let’s unpack the action from South Alabama because there’s some quarterback shakeup that’s got folks talking.
Gio Lopez, the QB who’s been slinging it for South Alabama, is stepping into the NCAA transfer portal. That’s right, dude’s looking for a new gridiron home. If you’re counting, Lopez is a redshirt sophomore, so he’s got three seasons of eligibility in his back pocket. Not bad, right?
Now, for those keeping score, Lopez started in 11 of 13 games last season. That’s a lot of QB1 action for the Jaguars. And honestly, his stats are no joke—3,022 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and just five picks. Plus, he hit almost 500 yards on the ground with seven rushing TDs. Safe to say, the guy knows how to orchestrate an offense.
Fun twist, Lopez had announced back in December he’d stick around South Alabama. But hey, plans change. After some spring ball reflection, he decided to test the waters elsewhere. Now, could be a lot of factors at play here—new opportunities, fresh starts, who knows?
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Checkout our Guide to the Football Transfer Portal
So, what does this mean for the Jags? Well, Lopez’s exit leaves them with two scholarship QBs: junior Bishop Davenport and redshirt freshman Jared Hollins. They’ve also got 26-year-old walk-on Bubba Thompson, freshly arrived from a career in pro baseball. Pretty unique mix, right?
Davenport got a decent run last season when Lopez was banged up. He started three games, played in 11, and put up some solid numbers, especially shining in that Salute to Veterans Bowl with those 271 passing yards and two TDs.
A little backdrop—South Alabama wrapped up spring practice and clocked a 7-6 season in 2024. That makes it three winning seasons back-to-back for the Jags. Consistency is building, but QB depth is gonna be the key moving forward.
Also, heads up—the transfer portal opens for a 10-day window starting Wednesday. Players have until April 26 to enter, but choosing a new team doesn’t have to happen immediately. As always, keep those notifications on if you want to catch the latest.
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