After opting to delay his entry into the NFL draft a year ago, Sedrick Van Pran has accepted an invite to the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl. While the Georgia center has yet to publicly announce his intentions to enter the NFL draft, his acceptance of the Senior Bowl invite is a clear indication that he is prepared to make the jump to the NFL.
Following the 2022 season, Van Pran opted to return to Georgia for a third season as the Bulldogs' starting center. The New Orleans, Louisiana, native who was tabbed as a preseason AP First Team All-American, once again anchored a Georgia offensive line that is a finalist for the Joe Moore Award for a third-consecutive season. Individually, Van Pran lived up to lofty preseason expectations with a strong senior season that saw him win the Jacob's Blocking Trophy, annually awarded to the SEC's top offensive lineman and be named as a finalist for the Rimington Award, given to the nation's top center. Earlier this week, he was also unanimously selected to the All-SEC First Team.
In addition to being a productive player on the field, Van Pran has consistently earned praise for his leadership in the Georgia locker room. Prior to the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 3, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart raved about the leadership that Van Pran provided during his time at Georgia.
"Yeah, he was a tremendous leader," Smart said. "We knew when he decided to come back it would impact our team in more ways than snaps and blocks. He would be a major figure in pushing guys to be excellent, to reach their goal. He's one of the most driven, dynamic leaders I've ever been around. He just cares so much and is so selfless. His practice habits this week alone have been stuff of legend, and we'll be showing videos of how much effort, how far he covers down, how important it is to him. He's one of the guys that doesn't look out for himself. He pushes everybody, and that's hard to find, and he's certainly a super high-quality leader."
While accepting the Senior Bowl invitation makes it apparent that Van Pran will enter the 2024 NFL draft, he has yet to publicly announce whether he will play in Georgia's game against Florida State in the Orange Bowl. The Bulldogs and Seminoles will square off in Miami on Dec. 30 at 4:00 PM ET.
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