HANCEVILLE — Four Hanceville football players are taking their talents to the next level.

RJ Evans, Fred Ellis, Romael Simmons and Antonio Bautista signed National Letters of Intent to their respective college programs inside a jampacked Lane Horton Gymnasium on Wednesday.

Coach Cody McCain couldn’t be more excited for the group.

“I’m really proud of these guys for getting the opportunity,” he said. “We’ve got four guys going to four different states and playing in three different divisions of college football. It’s a testament to them, and it’s also good for our school and future players. There are places for a lot of people to play if you’re willing to do what it takes to get there. It’s a good day for them, their families and Hanceville.”

See below for complete capsules on each of the four signees.

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RJ Evans

% School: Hutchinson Community College in Kansas (National Junior College Athletic Association)

% Projected Position: Tight End/H-Back

% What They Said: “I’m excited and really blessed. I’m very thankful to God for this opportunity. They put out a bunch of people at a bunch of Division I colleges. God called me here, so it’s the best choice for me.”

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Fred Ellis

% School: LaGrange College in Georgia (Division III)

% Projected Position: Wide Receiver

% What They Said: “I’m very excited. I think I can play good minutes and try to win a national championship. Most D-III schools are really good at football. But what stood out to me was their engineering program is really good, and it branches off into Auburn and Georgia Tech. That really made me want to go to LaGrange.”

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Romael Simmons

% School: Bethel University in Tennessee (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

% Projected Position: Safety

% What They Said: “I’m very excited. I’m glad God is letting me play at the next level.”

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Antonio Bautista

% School: Culver-Stockton College in Missouri (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

% Projected Position: Wide Receiver

% What They Said: “I’m nervous and excited. I’m going to miss my friends, but I’m ready to go compete at the next level.”