Gio Lopez will start at quarterback in South Alabama’s season-opener vs. North Texas, head coach Major Applewhite told AL.com on Tuesday.

Lopez played in five games, starting one, as a true freshman for the Jaguars in 2023. He has been the first-team quarterback since early in spring practice, and that experience gave him the edge over sophomore Bishop Davenport, last year’s scout team quarterback after transferring in from Utah State.

“Gio’s ahead, just from a standpoint of, he was in those meetings last year,” Applewhite said. “We were able to preserve Bishop’s redshirt so he could be able to come back and have more years. Gio just has more experience being in the meeting room, more experience with the offense, more experience with the scout team.

“All of them bring similar skills to the game, it’s just (Lopez’s) experience right now, having played in five games and started, that’s what got him ahead. It’s an accumulation of a lot of things, but the experience was the biggest factor.”

The 6-foot, 200-pound Lopez rotated between No. 2 and No. 3 quarterback last season, starting the Troy game when starter Carter Bradley was injured and rotating with Desmond Trotter in the season-ending 68 Ventures Bowl. For the season, Lopez completed 41 of 61 passes for 472 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, and also ran for 154 yards and two scores.

In addition to Davenport, true freshman Jared Hollins — a former star at Mobile’s Mary G. Montgomery High School — also competed for reps in the spring and in preseason camp. Hollins will be the No. 3 quarterback this season, and will likely redshirt.

“All of them have developed considerably since January,” Applewhite said. “I’m pleased with all three of those guys’ development. For Jared to come in as a true freshman right out of high school and come as far as he’s come in eight months, it’s impressive. And Bishop came in last summer and learned the offense, but then had to go to scout team. He really got a lot of reps in the spring and his development has been large as well.”

Lopez sat out the first scrimmage of the preseason on Aug. 10 with a minor hand injury suffered when he banged his left (throwing) hand on a helmet during practice. However, he had a decent day in scrimmage No. 2 last Saturday morning, passing for 147 yards and rushing for 16.

“I was glad to be back out there,” Lopez said. “(The injury) was one of those scary things that really ended up really being nothing. We have a great medical staff and they got me taken care of and I’m back. I’m good.”

South Alabama returns to the practice field on Wednesday morning. The Jaguars kick off vs. North Texas at 4 p.m. on Aug. 31 at Hancock Whitney Stadium.