Tennessee picked up commit No. 10 for the 2022 class on Saturday when three-star offensive tackle Maurice Clipper made his Big Orange announcement Saturday on Twitter.

“I really got to see what Tennessee was all about on my [official] visit. The environment and the people – it was all great,” Clipper told Volquest. “I got to see up close the culture they have with the new staff that has come in.

“I wanted to have this behind me before my senior year and I just felt like this was the perfect time and decision.”

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman was in attendance for Tennessee’s spring game on April 24 but wasn’t able to see the facilities or talk to any of the coaches face-to-face until his official in June.

While in Knoxville, Clipper was able to bond with his soon-to-be position coach this summer.

“He’s really understanding, and I like his coaching style and how he goes about things,” Clipper said of Glen Elarbee. “I really like the system they have in place offensively.”

Aside from Tennessee, The Peach State native checked in with Louisville and Virginia Tech, officially, in June while also making stops at Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Mississippi State. Clipper chose the Volunteers over the Cardinals, Hokies and Georgia Bulldogs when it came to making a final call.

“Coach [Josh] Heupel had great energy when he was around me. He made me feel wanted and I liked that,” Clipper reflected. “I really like him and the offensive staff he has put into place. I loved Knoxville when I was there and the city surrounds the campus.”

The Milton standout primarily plays tackle on the right side of the line but will likely protect the quarterback’s blindside this fall. As a junior in 2020, Clipper never gave up a sack – nor was he called for a single penalty.

He has a strong base in pass-set and displays great ability in getting up to the second level on zone. With his size, strength is an asset in drive and down blocking. The big man also displays his athletic ability on the basketball court.

“I really liked the up-tempo, high-powered offense. It’s a quick game,” the commit told Volquest this spring. “I enjoyed watching the spring game. I couldn’t help but notice how fast they were going from one play to the next. They really weren’t lying when talking about how fast they plan to go.”

Clipper is tabbed as the No. 85 player in Georgia and owns a 5.6 Rivals Rating. Tennessee’s new commit joins Brian Grant and Masai Reddick as offensive linemen in the 2022 class. The three-star is also the second commit of the week for Josh Heupel and the fourth 2022 pledge in eight days.