Georgia needs a new center

This is the first installment of our annual winter series here at UGASports.com where we take a look at Georgia’s entire roster heading into the start of spring practice next month.

Today, we’ll highlight the center position.

It’s going to seem strange not seeing Sedrick Van Pran under center for the Bulldogs.

After all, Van Pran started each game at the position for the past three years, helping the Bulldogs win a pair of national championships and becoming one of the top available centers in April’s NFL Draft.

During his Bulldog career, Van Pran became one the team’s most respected leaders, so his moving on certainly leaves a void in the middle of Georgia’s offensive line.

However, junior Jared Wilson appears ready to take the job.

At Georgia, players aren’t haphazardly thrown into the fray; they’re groomed. For the past three seasons, that’s just what the Bulldogs have done with Wilson, who redshirted as a freshman in 2021 before playing in every game the past two campaigns.

After starting out primarily at guard, coaches saw the potential of Wilson, moving him to center where he practiced all season and watched Van Pran’s every move.

During an earlier interview, Wilson talked about his journey.

“It’s been a long one. Just developing over the years and not really knowing what I was kind of getting myself into coming here,” Wilson said. “But quickly, I figured it out. I knew I was going to have to wait for my time and develop. That’s what I’ve done over these past two or three years.”

At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, he’s already earned the trust of both head coach Kirby Smart and offensive line coach Stacy Searels.

“He's dependable, he's accountable. He's in great shape. He's smart. And I won't say he jumped up the depth chart or anything. He plays like a starter. And we're going to give him an opportunity to play,” Smart said about Wilson back in September. “He works at center, guard. He works at both of those. We want to have depth in those positions. You really want to have two guards that can swing and a center that can play. He earns what he gets, and he's earned it.”

As far as who backs up Wilson, that will be something to watch this spring.

Redshirt sophomore Drew Bobo practiced at the position for most of the year and finished the season No. 3 on the depth chart behind Wilson.

But will he stay there?

It’s believed Searels will give a look to one or two of his freshmen early enrollees.

One name to keep an eye on is Malachi Toliver.

Like Wilson, Toliver played tackle in high school but is projected to move inside once spring practice begins.

A move to center where he could spend a year learning his new position would not come as a surprise.