Rivals100 OL Sedrick Van Pran stays true to his word, sticks with Georgia

NEW ORLEANS — When Sedrick Van Pran committed to Georgia in August, he did so with plenty of confidence.

At the time, the Dawgs were the perceived favorites to win the SEC East. Sam Pittman, the first coach to offer Van Pran, was piecing together a Recruiter of the Year-esque campaign and Georgia let the nation’s No. 1-ranked center know he was a wanted man in Athens.

Fast forward four months and Pittman took over as the Head Hog. Van Pran didn’t sign early in December and was still in talks with Alabama and Florida, yet by National Signing Day, not much had changed.

“It was pretty tough,” Van Pran told Rivals on Wednesday. “I think it was really hard on me because those were three great schools and you can’t go wrong with any one of them. It came down to the type of guy I am. I think I’m a high-integrity guy, so when I say I’m gonna do something, I’m gonna stick with it. Ultimately, Georgia was the best place for me and I had to remember why I chose them.”

Van Pran, a Rivals100 offensive lineman, will report to Athens in June. He’ll be reunited with Matt Luke, Pittman’s successor at Georgia, who offered the Warren Easton product right after his predecessor.

Luke, along with New Orleans area recruiter Cortez Hankton, played pivotal roles in keeping Van Pran afloat after Pittman left for Arkansas. Kirby Smart was also quite influential.

“Coach Smart came down and told me to trust him,” Van Pran recalled. “Basically, Coach Matt Luke got there and spent so much time trying to make sure I was comfortable and we built a relationship. Coach Hankton and Coach Luke, the amount of time they put it was unmatched and I really appreciated it.”

Where did Smart make his biggest mark?

Pittman was responsible for orchestrating some great hauls during his time at Georgia, but reminded Van Pran that the tradition did not begin or end with just the offensive line coach.

“His biggest thing was there have been big offensive linemen there before Coach Pittman and there’s a tradition of good offensive line wasn’t gonna die,” the Rivals100 center said. “I had to trust him and we built a heck of a relationship.”