REACTION: What SVP's Return Means for Georgia in 2023

Georgia got a bit of great news on Friday when junior center and captain Sedrick Van Pran announced his return to the Georgia Football program. Here's what it means for Georgia.

"The quarterback of the offensive line."

That's how youth football coaches convince shorter, plumper football players to try their hand at the offensive line. Though as those young men grow, and the sport becomes their own, some lifelong centers fall in love with the leadership potential that exists. 

It's not always the quarterback of the offensive line. In fact, most of the work is done by the quarterback in today's game, unless you've got a special brain and player at the position. That's what Sedrick Van-Pran has been his entire life. 

Sedrick Van-Pran is a 6'3.5", 305-pound athlete who very well could have been an offensive tackle in high school. In fact, in most cases, collegiate centers are former high school tackles because, well, that's just typically where coaches put their best offensive linemen. Not Sedrick though. Sedrick is a center. 

Sedrick is a center because he's a leader, even dating back to his high school days at Warren Easton where he took home the state of Louisiana leadership award as a senior. Sedrick is a center because he's vocal. Have you ever noticed who Kirby Smart has brought with him to nearly every press conference for two seasons? Sedrick is a center because he's extremely smart, a relentless student of the game that possesses the ability to correct all of his teammates' assignments because he knows them. 

Listen to this video clip from earlier in the season, and listen to the way this football brain operates. This is not your everyday lineman. This is a center. 

So, what did Georgia get back today? Well, they got arguably the No. 2 overall center in the 2023 NFL Draft to decide he wanted to return to Athens for a senior season. They got an NFL football player to return for a fourth year in college. But more importantly, they got one of the faces of their franchise back in Athens. 

Someone who can take an offensive line that will return four starters from a repeat national champion and run down that Joe Moore award that's alluded this group for two straight seasons now. 

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Brooks Austin
BROOKS AUSTIN

Brooks Austin is a former college football player turned journalist and broadcaster. Follow him on Twitter @BrooksAustinBA