LSU gets kicker James Hairston, SMU gets Ronnell Sims and Darius Joseph

Jesuit senior James Hairston, one of the top kickers in the country, has orally committed to LSU. "I'm definitely elated," Hairston said. "I feel like the world has been taken off my shoulders because it's something I've been working on for so long." Hairston is ranked by Chris Sailer Kicking ranks as the No. 6 kicker in the Class of 2011. … Hurst L.D. Bell quarterback James Mauro has orally committed to Western Kentucky. Mauro, a towering presence in the pocket at 6-7, is the younger brother of Joe Mauro, a star quarterback at Bell who played sparingly at Northwestern because of shoulder injuries. James Mauro's other older brother, Josh Mauro, is a redshirt freshman defensive end at Stanford. … Abilene quarterback Ronnell Sims and receiver Darius Joseph have orally committed to SMU. According to the Abilene Reporter News, Sims is being recruited as a receiver.

Matt Wixon is the high school sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He can be reached at mwixon@dallasnews.com or on Twitter @mattwixon.