Murphy is the highest-ranked of the four, earning No. 6 overall national honors by InterMat. The Hughson, Calif., is the No. 2 130-pounder in the country and is projected as a 133-pounder in college. He was a 2005 California state champion and a 2005 NHSCA Junior National champion. He also won the 2004 Reno Tournament of Champions, placed third at the 2004 California state tournament and took runner-up honors at the 2004 Cadet Freestyle Nationals. Murphy also earned 2005 ASICS honorable mention All-America honors. He chose the Hokies over Iowa.
Epperly provides some local flavor to the team as he is from nearby Christiansburg. He is ranked the No. 55 overall national prospect and the No. 7 160-pounder in the country by InterMat. He is projected as a 165- or 174-pounder in college. He enters his final year of high school wrestling as a three-time state AA champion. He took fifth place at the 2004 Beast of the East, second at the 2004 Powerade and third at the 2004 Ironman. He chose Tech over Old Dominion and Edinboro.
Decker was the final wrestler to verbal to the Hokies, choosing Tech over Lehigh, Maryland and Virginia. The Bainbridge Guilford-Afton, N.Y., native is ranked the No. 99 overall prospect in the nation by InterMat and the No. 10 national prospect at 160 pounds. He is projected as a 165-pounder in college. He enters his final year of high school wrestling with a 190-14 record and won both the 2005 New York Division II state title and the 2005 NHSCA National Open. He is a two-time NYS Division II champion and a five-time Section Four champion. Decker also took fourth at the 2003 Cadet National Greco meet and sixth at the 2003 Cadet National Freestyle meet.
Powers, from Ramsey, N.J., wrestles at national powerhouse Blair Academy. Blair is the same program that produced Tech two-time All-American Sean Gray. Powers was the national prep runner-up at heavyweight. He is a member of the New Jersey Freestyle/Greco Team and made it to the final 10 in both freestyle and Greco at the nationals in Fargo, N.D.
Brands has indicated that he would like to sign additional wrestlers in the late signing period.
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