It was great news for the Georgia Bulldogs when starting center Sedrick Van Pran announced his return to Athens for the 2023 season in January.
He could have gone and been one of the best offensive linemen selected in the draft. Instead, he wanted to stay one more season in Athens and aim for the treble. His reason was quite simple.
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“My love for the G,” Van Pran said when asked why he came back.
Van Pran’s return to Athens is huge for a Bulldogs offensive line that will have a whole new look next season.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound New Orleans native will enter his fourth season at Georgia. He’s started every game at center in each of the past two years, helping to anchor the offensive line of the two-time national championship-winning Bulldogs.
Georgian running back Kendall Milton explained how important it is for Van Pran to return to center in 2023:
“It means the world to this team,” Milton said. “Me and Sedrick actually lived across the hall from each other. During that time we had little talks. I knew what he wanted; he knew what I wanted. He wanted the opportunity to leave a final mark and come out in style.
It’s great too, because he’s one of those players that makes it easy for me when he’s out there giving up points, passing protection and running blocking. It makes my job easier because it makes it clear for the offense. He keeps things running smoothly and makes everyone’s job so much easier.
Van Pran and Georgia are just a few spring training sessions away, but the fourth-year center likes what he’s seeing of the Bulldogs’ new offense that includes a new offensive coordinator in Mike Bobo.
“I want to thank [Todd] Monken for all he has done; he deserves everything he has. But I think Coach Bobo did a great job stepping in. He brought a lot of energy and he presents a lot of different things,” Van Pran said. “Honestly, it’s been pretty fun taking on the challenges of these new people. Really, the way we see it, it’s a new offensive team. We approach it as if it were something new.
