Why do you find the ATL strategy bizarre? It's unconventional, sure, but it sounds like Russo only got his shot because the ATL strategy meant he'd get his chance to play. Seemed to work as intended. Personally, I feel ATL is one of the more clever things Collins has implemented at Georgia Tech.
We're experiencing a shift in college football towards something more akin to free agency in the transfer market. A lot of the time, transfers are caused by lack of playing time or being pinned as a career backup. However, if you establish that your #2 LB will be getting nearly as many snaps as the starter if they prove to the staff they deserve it, then it should mitigate player transfers. Frankly, we had astonishingly low attrition this off-season for a coaching transition and I partially credit the ATL for that.
I also think it's good because it should keep players healthier and develop your backups more quickly as they receive more snaps. The obvious drawback is that you might not always have your best players in at all times, but a fresh backup can often outperform a tired starter for a spell. Though, like anything else, we'll see if theory works in practice this season.
Can you comment on how much the Temple players bought into Collins' culture? Because the GT players have shown a level of commitment that has even surprised the coaching staff (probably the biggest reason for our player retention). They all seem to love Collins, his energy, his staff, and his "gimmicks," and we've seen an influx of three 4* transfers and one 5* who all love it as well. The vibe I get is that the Temple fans were accustomed to Rhule's style and never totally bought into what Collins was selling, so my thought process was that this was shared with the Temple players. You think that's accurate?