ATHENS — Sedrick Van Pran let Georgia coaches know just how eager he was to shift his mindset to the 2022 season during team workouts.
“When we were doing spring football (training), it kind of upset me that the national championship thing was still on the field, that honestly upset me,” Van Pran shared after the Bulldogs’ practice on Thursday.
“I spoke out about it to a couple of coaches. The mood on the team is that’s over, and it’s been over for about a month-and-a-half now, it’s done.”
Somewhere, head coach Kirby Smart was smiling, as he drilled media members earlier in the week about understanding there’s no “defending champion” mindset in the Georgia locker room.
WATCH: Kirby mindset for contenders, not defenders
“It’s a new season, nothing is promised,” Van Pran said. “There are new expectations for college football, and honestly no one is going to give you anything.”
Perhaps not, but watching Van Pran start all 15 games last season and listening to the leadership tone and mentality he carries, the redshirt sophomore is as close to a sure-thing in the starting lineup as anyone on the team.
Van Pran’s grip on his position and the team was unmistakable as he shared insights that are sure to get fans excited about the new faces and names that must step up for the Bulldogs to repeat.
Van Pran also shared that the Bulldogs’ offensive line is setting its goals high, aiming to win the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the best O-Line in college football.
Michigan won the award last season, which Van Pran admitted served as added motivation for the Bulldogs, who proceeded to dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage against the Wolverines in the 34-11 Orange Bowl CFP Semifinal win on Jan. 1.
RELATED: Georgia puts the squeeze on Michigan, complete domination in 34-11 win
Here’s a breakdown of how Van Pran discussed key points, and after letting the media know that Thursday’s practice was “very physical with a high competition level.”
On defensive tackle Zion Logue:
“I think Zion is a version or a combination of JD (Jordan Davis) and Devonte (Wyatt), he’s between both of them. He’s fast, and he’s strong. He can catch you off guard with his quickness, but he’s also very powerful in the run game. So I think he’s a mixture of both of them.”
On the Georgia running backs:
“For me, it’s the leadership of those guys, they’re silent leaders. They come to work every day. They were productive when they were playing in supportive roles. Now they have an opportunity to take on the load and be what James (Cook) and Zamir (White) were to the team last year. I think it’s good Daijun Edwards is coming on, too.”
On offensive lineman Amarius Mims:
“Great talent, young guy, he has some game experience so we’re looking forward to him taking the next step. I think he will be fine, honestly, just watching how he practices and watching how he works is a thing of beauty. I’m looking forward to seeing how he takes the next step, because he’s a generational talent.”
Offseason conditioning program:
“It was strenuous, to say the least. We did some new things that definitely pushed us to our max. But they were good, they brought out the competitive nature in everybody, and I think ultimately it’s going to make us a stronger team. It definitely worked out for us, and it’s a testimony to who coach (Scott) Sinclair and his staff are.”
Comparing coaches Stacy Searels and Matt Luke
“Before I address that, let me say this, I appreciate everything Coach Luke has done for us. I have tremendous love for Coach Luke and his family, so I appreciate them.
“But I think the biggest thing that will be a difference is that Coach Luke in practice was more of a motivator, he definitely wanted to coach and teach technique, but he also wanted to motivate. Coach Searels is more straight to the point and that could be a good or bad depending on the player. The biggest thing is to take the message, what did you do wrong, how can you get better, and what’s the best thing for the team.”
Van Pran shared his thoughts on Stetson Bennett, the competition at offensive guard and other topics during his media presentation, below: