Sedrick Van Pran on forging new identity in 2023: Nobody from those past team that left are coming back

Getting closer to the season, national championship picks are beginning to roll in. For the most part, betting against the Georgia Bulldogs is a tough task at the moment. Back-to-back titles speak for themselves but the Kirby Smart-led monster is expected to continue. Mix in a favorable schedule and Georgia is the popular pick.

As we know, nobody in Athens thinks that way. Every year is a new opportunity to prove yourself, just ask offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran. While he might be a veteran presence for Georgia, he knows other program greats are not coming back for the 2023 season.

If the Bulldogs are going to earn another national championship, Van Pran wants everyone on the roster to be playing like it could be the first.

“I think it’s the truth that it does not matter,” Van Pran said when speaking to On3’s Andy Staples at SEC Media Days. “For us our truth is that nobody from those past two teams that are gone are going to come play for you this year. At the end of the day, you have to be the ones that go out and represent the University to the best of your ability.

“Every year is a new year. Nobody from those teams are coming back. They’re not going to help you… Everybody is going to give you your best shot. So, it’s up to you to make sure you’re prepared.”

Van Pran has started in every Georgia game since the beginning of the 2021 season. Since then, the Bulldogs have lost just once, coming against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2021 SEC Championship game. The other 29 matchups have resulted in a win, including the two national titles.

A total of 25 players have been drafted out of Georgia since then. Four of them played on the offensive line next to Van Pran, with the center seeing plenty of turnover on his own position group.

But when looking at the whole team, Eight have been first-round picks at six different positions. Smart has produced nearly everywhere, making NFL general managers happy people over the past couple of years.

Yes, there have been plenty of legends that have stepped onto the field for Georgia the past two years. No, they are not going to be able to win another national championship in 2023. They are all too busy chasing after a Super Bowl.

Van Pran wants current players to be willing to step up and believes the results will once again be favorable.