I'm sorry, but arguing that ATM will be better, even the vague possibility of it, next year is absurd. They're not going to replace 6+ draft picks with better players, playing better immediately. Get a grip on that. They'll be legitimately weaker at TE, TB and the front 7. If Ainias Smith goes pro, they'll be far weaker at WR too. Maybe Evan Stewart fills that void quickly, but maybe not.
They lose every starter on the DL when Leal goes pro. They have talent behind them and coming in, but Leal is a 1st round pick and the rest have a shit ton of experience. They won't be upgrading that in 2022 even if the talent level is higher.
Hansford is a damned good LB. Gone. Backups don't present as well.
O'Neal is a buffoon and a liability, but if they had someone better than him, he'd undoubtedly be playing by now. Demani Richardson is likely going pro. That's 2 safeties, gone.
They lose two OL if Green goes pro. There's speculation that he won't, but his dad is a moneygrubbing pimp, so I'm guessing he gets the push to get what he can, while he can.
There is no exciting replacement for Wydermeyer. Sternberger was a stud and Wydermeyer was a great replacement. The Fisher passing game revolves around the TE. This is a big hole going into 2022.
Calzada may suck, but he enters 2022 as the presumptive starter. If they slide King right back in, Calzada is gone. They're going to try to tiptoe that situation all spring and summer and the prospects of them pulling off keeping both are tenuous. King is an injury waiting to happen. He WAS injured his senior year with a shoulder problem. He is fragile and that isn't fixable. Weigman starting as a true freshman seems ... unlikely. If he is, then you probably lost both upperclassmen. No one even really knows if Weigman is going to play, much less be ready.
And all of this presumes that Elko sticks around and Robinson sticks with him. I'm guessing if Elko gets a gig somewhere, Robinson is the first guy he's asking to come with him.
ATM also accidentally picked the wrong cupcakes to open the season. Sam Houston State is a power in FCS and will not just lay down for ATM to open the year. Then these idiots host Appalachian State, who is pretty fucking far from a pushover these days (they're 10-2 this season and playing for their conference championship this weekend). Then they host Miami, go to Dallas for Arkansas, then at Mississippi State and at Alabama before an offweek. Those fucking idiots have a higher likelihood of being 2-4 than 4-2 in that first half of a season.
No, ATM will not be better in 2022.