I've followed LSU recruiting since 2005. Northeast Louisiana ("NE LA") has always been a big topic. Now, before you fine folks from NE LA get your britches in a bunch, I don't mean that in a bad way.

It seemed like for the longest time, LSU had a strong foothold in NE LA. West Monroe, in particular, received a lot of credit for being an invaluable pipeline of indispensable players for LSU. It kinda seemed like a given. A great player from WM, or most places in NE LA, would invariably commit to LSU. The world kept turning.

God’s in His heaven—
All’s right with the world.

And a not-so-funny thing happened. LSU lost its grip on Northeast Louisiana.

There's little doubt that LSU stopped recruiting the area as hard. Whether because of an emphasis on a more national recruiting scope, poor choices in personnel assigned to the area, and/or a lack of emphasis and effort, LSU dropped the ball . . . and the other team recovered. (Now, it can't be overstated that it helped a great deal that the other team's head coach was very familiar with the area and people because he was the former head coach of LSU.)

From this fan's perspective, it also seems that some Northeast LA fans had a small sense of entitlement too. LSU has always relied on players from NE LA. And then it appeared that LSU didn't need them so much. NE LA football fans are knowledgeable and proud. They know their football. They know their players. They are rightfully proud of their high schools and their traditions. (Actually, not so different at all from other areas of the state.)

LSU's lack of recruiting emphasis hit them like a gut punch. "We are Northeast Louisiana. You are LSU. You need us." And LSU did need them, but LSU didn't show it.

Now, it's a simple but unavoidable fact of life that LSU can't take everybody. There's a 25 man limit, and that applies to Northeast Louisiana too. LSU simply could not take everyone from NE LA. and when it passed on some of those players, some their fine folks argued vociferously that LSU was making a huge mistake in not taking those players. In some cases, those fine folks were right, but if they are honest with themselves, LSU got it right for the most part. Nevertheless, it seemed like LSU was drifting away from the hearts and minds of some fans in NE LA.

When LSU stopped getting the players it wanted from NE LA, the rest of the state started to notice. They didn't understand what happened. They just saw a lack of loyalty to the state school.

Accusations and justifications were thrown by both sides. I won't dignify by repeating some of the more disparaging comments hurled at each other, but neither side's hands are clean. There's plenty of room to blame and accept blame. Suffice to say that it got ugly on here occasionally.

Bolden is a terrific player. He's certainly good enough to play for LSU. That can't be denied. LSU offered him a scholarship. If he had his heart set on playing for LSU, if that was his dream, he had the opportunity to do so.

However, LSU didn't make him a big enough priority. I don't the specifics, whether it's not promising him playing time, a RB position, a slot position, whatever it was that he wanted and LSU didn't or couldn't promise, he felt like he could get a better deal from Alabama.

My daughter was recruited to play basketball. I told her that the schools were going to do what they needed to do, and she should do what she needed to do.

Similarly, LSU had to make decisions in its best interest, and Bolded needed to make decisions in his best interest. If he didn't see enough opportunity at LSU, it made sense for him to choose another school even if it wasn't his dream school.

I wish Bolden chose LSU. LSU wanted him, but he saw a better opportunity elsewhere. Bolden simply wasn't a high enough priority for LSU. That's not Bolden's fault.

But by the same token, that's not LSU's fault either. He was good enough to get an offer, but maybe not good enough, in LSU's estimation, to be a high priority. Simply put, Alabama's OC saw a greater need for Bolden then LSU's OC. That may be wrong, that may be right, but it's not a personal insult . . . or a regional insult.

Which brings us back to Northeast Louisiana. Some fans in NE LA argue that LSU still doesn't recruit the area hard enough. But LSU made Bolden an offer. He chose Alabama.

Some of those fans threaten that LSU won't get players from NE LA in the future because of Bolden. All fans recognize that LSU cannot take players now just so they can get players in the future. (WM fans would not want LSU to do that for any other school in the state.) If those future players are good enough, and many will be, they will get the attention they richly deserve.

The days of de-emphasizing the recruits in Northeast Louisiana are over. Coach O seems to be taking a different tack. I'm no huge Coach O fan, but in this regard, he seems to be making a different.

Regardless of what either side says, Northeast Louisiana is not so different from other parts of the state. We all love high school football and its traditions. We all love LSU football and its traditions. We all love Louisiana. We are a proud people, and rightfully so.

TL/DR: LSU offered Bolden but didn't make him a high enough priority according to Bolden. He chose Bama. LSU and Bolden did what they thought necessary. Fans from other parts of the state need to get over it. Fans from NE LA need to get over it too. LSU is putting an emphasis on recruiting the whole state. Ecclesiastes 4:12