LaFayette senior offensive lineman Evan Swindall, Ridgeland senior receiver Mike Bowman and Ridgeland senior center Chad Smith made their college choices official on Wednesday as the trio signed their letters of intent on National Signing Day for high school players.

Swindall, the oldest son of LaFayette head coach Perry Swindall, signed his letter with the University of Mississippi during a ceremony in the school's auditorium Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm glad this day is finally here," Swindall said. "I'm excited about going to Ole Miss."

Swindall will be the first LaFayette High School player to play for a Division I program since Keith Williams, a senior at the Air Force Academy. Prior to Williams, Shannon Suttle signed with Auburn in 1993.

The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder played for Russellville and Spain Park High Schools in Alabama before moving to LaFayette with his dad this past year.

He finished his first and only season with the Ramblers by grading out at 94 percent and allowing no sacks to help lead LaFayette to a 6-4 record, the team's first winning season in five years.

Swindall, a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com and the No. 19 center prospect in the country, originally committed to Central Florida last spring, but changed his mind after a visit to Mississippi late last month.

He also had interest from Auburn, Middle Tennessee State and South Alabama among others.

"I've had around 50 kids sign college scholarships in my 25 or so years in coaching," Perry Swindall said. "They've all been special, but this one is a little more special, of course, since he's my son. It's a special time for us."

Bowman became Ridgeland's second Football Bowl Subdivision signee in the past two years when he inked with the University of Alabama on Wednesday.

Bowman joins Nigel Nicholas, who signed with Oklahoma State last year, as the Panthers' lone Division I-A players.

The senior committed to the Crimson Tide back in the fall after garnering attention from schools all over the country, including Georgia, Oregon, Southern Cal, LSU, Purdue, Clemson and Kentucky.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder had 36 catches this past season for 1,022 yards, 11 touchdowns and a 28.4 yard-per-catch average.

He had 211 yards receiving and two touchdowns in Ridgeland's 28-13 Region 6-AAA championship victory over Carrollton and the Panthers went on to a 9-3 record before falling to state runner-up Flowery Branch.

Rivals.com lists Bowman as a four-star prospect and the No. 20-ranked receiver in the country and the No. 9-ranked prospect in Georgia, regardless of position.

"I just want to thank all my coaches, my mom and my dad, my family members, the community, all the teachers and the Lord for helping me get this far," Bowman said. "This day means a lot. I almost cried when I signed the papers.

"It means a lot to me to keep this train going at Ridgeland and hopefully there will be a lot more that will get to do this after me. I'm just glad it's over. I've been ready to sign for two months."

Smith signed a full scholarship with Alabama State University and will be a long snapper for the Hornets.

ASU, located in Montgomery, is a Football Championship Subdivision school that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

A three-year starter at center for the Panthers, Smith graded out at 85 percent in his final year at Ridgeland and had 12 pancake blocks.

"This day means everything to me," Smith said. "I've been looking for a college ever since the start of my senior year. Most of the coaches told me the colleges would find me and when ASU called I had a sense that it was the place for me. After I visited, it was perfect.

"They lost four or five games last year because of long snapping and they were needing a guy that could get the ball back there consistently. I sent them some tapes and they fell in love with me I guess."

Smith had also considered Shorter College in Rome and Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C.

"It's good for Mike and his family because he's worked so hard and Chad is just one of those great stories," Ridgeland head coach Mark Mariakis said. "Chad was a little undersized as a lineman, but he did everything that was asked of him, on the field and in the classroom, and now he's getting rewarded by getting a free college education and getting to play football."

"Having another Division I player sign from here helps the program's image. Plus having Mike and Nigel sign in back-to-back years is probably going to lead to four or five more kids signing down the road. Having D-I signees really benefits other kids in the program because more coaches get to see them."