Pretty much this. I don't think overall talent has been a problem at LSU... I think in the last 10 years the only non-top 10 Class for LSU was maybe in 2012? Usually good for somewhere between 1-4th in the conference as well. Actual coaching/game plan/in-game decision making has been a much bigger issue and then talent at the QB position has been sorely lacking for what feels like some time now.

UGA has been in a similar situation (but with slightly worse overall recruiting ratings prior to Smart), where since AM left, we had a relative vacuum at the QB position, and since AJ Green left, we've been piecemeal at best at WR. Malcolm Mitchell was good but had a rocky career at UGA due to injuries. Our top WR last year was 5'7"... How is it that UGA's WR recruiting has been so poor over the years even with nearly 6 years of consistently pretty good to great QB play from Matt Stafford and Aaron Murray (let's discount Stafford's freshman year... not great). And if I just evaluate Richt's entire time there, we had at least good QB play for probably 11/15 seasons with David Green & Shockley contributing to 5 good years. And in the entirety of Richt's latter half at UGA, we couldn't seem to recruit the offensive line worth a damn (not sure if effort or something else). Things that make you scratch your head when you look back at it sometimes...

LSU seems to have had a relative surplus of talent at the Defensive front and maybe to a slightly lesser degree at OL as well. WR/CB/RB haven't been a real problem, so it seems that the crux of the matter will come down to securing top flight QB talent (consistently). I don't know whether Ed O is going to have a meaningful impact there as an individual, but if he has put together a staff that can make a compelling pitch and identify the right guy, then things could be looking up.