Even though Devon Bell made his college choice last summer, it didn’t stop the calls from coming.

Auburn was first, a few weeks after he made his announcement. Not long ago, Ohio State gave him a ring to see if he was veering in a different direction.

Bell gave both powerhouses a polite, “Thanks, but no thanks,” and stuck to his choice.

This morning, the Warren Central punter and kicker made good on his months-long commitment by signing to play at Mississippi State.

“It’s pretty exciting. I’ve been waiting for it since last summer. I’m glad it’s here,” Bell said.

Bell went 17-for-17 on extra points and 3-for-6 on field goals last season, averaged 41.8 yards on 46 punts and put 28 of 32 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. He became the first special teams player to earn The Vicksburg Post’s Defensive Player of the Year award and solidified a reputation as one of the top kickers in the country.

He said he grew up an Ole Miss fan, but changed his allegiance after going to see Mississippi State play Auburn and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton in Starkville early in the 2010 season.

“Just the atmosphere. It was really intense,” Bell said. “It changed my whole perspective.”

Now Bell will take his talents to Starkville and try to achieve a trifecta — handling kickoffs, punts and place kicking. He said he figures to start with kickoffs next year and work his way into the rotation as the opportunity arises.

“I think I have a high chance of starting on kickoffs. It’ll be a battle for the punting position,” Bell said. “I’m going to work hard, regardless. Whoever works harder than me will get the position. It won’t be easy for them.”

Only three players with ties to the Vicksburg area signed letters of intent with four-year schools today.

Port Gibson’s Adarius Barnes, a long-time Mississippi State commit, signed with Louisiana Tech instead.

Hinds Community College offensive lineman John Gustavis, a former Warren Central star, signed with Division II West Alabama.

Nearly a dozen other players signed with junior colleges or accepted offers to play at Division III schools that don’t give out athletic scholarships.

Among them:

• Warren Central defensive back Bill McRight, linebacker Tyler Comans and fullback Given Breckinridge all signed with Mississippi Delta Community College.

McRight, a three-year starter, had a team-high 73 solo tackles and two interceptions last season. He was selected “best defensive back” in Region 2-6A in voting by the league’s coaches.

“I just like the coach,” McRight said of Delta’s Jay Miller, who faced WC last season when he coached at Greenville-Weston. “I know what kind of defense he runs and thought it was a good fit for me.”

Breckinridge said he expects to be either a fullback or an H-back on the juco level. Like McRight, he said Mississippi Delta was a good fit.

“I like the campus,” Breckinridge said. “I’m the quiet type. There’s a lot of room for improvement. I think it’ll be a good place for me.”

• Vicksburg High quarterback Cameron Cooksey, wide receiver A.J. Stamps and linebacker Eli Brown signed with East Mississippi Community College today.

Brown had 54 total tackles for the Gators in 2011. Cooksey, who set every major Warren County passing record in his senior season, will take his top target, Stamps, with him and have a chance to succeed Bo Wallace in East Mississippi’s high-powered offense.

Wallace threw for more than 5,000 yards, led EMCC to a junior college national title last season and signed with Ole Miss.

Stamps caught a county-record 77 passes for 1,289 yards and 19 TDs. He had two interceptions on defense.

Vicksburg will send two offensive linemen to Hinds Community College. Jeremy Hill and Norman Price, both three-year starters at tackle, signed with the school this morning. Hill plans to “gray shirt,” or delay his enrollment until after football season and start his junior college career in 2013.

• Hinds AHS will send a pair of players, Ledarion Robinson and Reginald Warnsley, to Hinds Community College. Robinson was a Class 1A All-State selection last season as a defensive back, but also shined on offense. He rushed for 797 yards and 15 touchdowns despite missing several games with a knee injury.

Warnsley, a linebacker, led Hinds AHS with 86 tackles.

• Hinds Community College also nabbed another area product, Central Hinds kicker Pate Demuth. The strong-legged Demuth kicked several field goals of 50 yards or more in three years as CHA’s kicker. He was 36-for-44 on extra points last season, 6-of-12 on field goals, and averaged 37.3 yards per punt.

Demuth also caught a team-high 25 passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns while playing tight end, and was a starting linebacker.

Demuth’s sister, Lauren Demuth, signed with Hinds to play soccer.

Another Central Hinds football player, Jordan Currie, accepted an offer to play at Division III Mississippi College, which doesn’t award athletic scholarships.

Currie, a quarterback and linebacker, was a first-team All-MAIS selection last season after finishing with 2,917 total yards. He rushed for 27 TDs and threw for 11.

• Two Tallulah Academy players, offensive lineman Cameron Machen and linebacker Landon Reddick, are also headed to Mississippi College to play football. Jake Busby will go to the Clinton school and play baseball.