The Fallacy of the Collegiate Pipeline
When WWE launched its Next in Line program on December 2, 2021, the recruitment pipeline appeared to have changed. The promotion announced a class of 15 elite collegiate athletes, promising a direct pathway from the NCAA to the professional ring. Yet, four and a half years later, the yield on that initial class stands at a mere 13.3 percent.
Out of those 15 athletes, only two have transitioned into active, televised roles on the NXT roster. The rest have returned to college sports, pursued professional football, or washed out of the developmental system entirely.
The statistical reality is even starker when looking at the wider data pool. By December 2023, WWE had signed a cumulative total of 60 athletes across four distinct recruiting classes.
According to company tracking, only seven of those 60 athletes transitioned to full-time developmental contracts in Orlando, representing a conversion rate of just 11.6 percent. For an organization that spent decades relying on the independent wrestling scene to supply ready-made talent, this collegiate experiment has proven to be an expensive, low-yield gamble.
This conversion deficit is not merely a matter of athletic capability. It is a fundamental miscalculation of how athletic skills translate to the specific physical theater of professional wrestling.
The developmental trajectory of these athletes reveals a clear pattern. The closer a recruit's sport is to pure choreography and explosive contact, the higher their probability of success. Conversely, the more a recruit's background relies on reactive, unscripted combat, the harder their transition becomes.
The In-Ring Performance Disconnect
The case of Gable Steveson remains the most high-profile failure of this recruitment philosophy. Steveson signed a multi-year deal in September 2021 before being featured heavily in the inaugural class. As an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, he was projected as the next franchise star.
Instead, Steveson struggled to adapt to the cooperative mechanics of professional wrestling, appearing in only one televised match at NXT Great American Bash in July 2023. During that match against Baron Corbin, Steveson was booed by a crowd that rejected his slow transition times and mechanical movement.
He was quietly released from his contract in May 2024, having generated zero return on a significant financial investment. Steveson's failure illustrates that elite amateur wrestling mechanics do not automatically translate to sports entertainment.
His muscle memory was built on defensive posture and keeping his center of gravity low. Professional wrestling requires the opposite: exposing the chest, throwing visible strikes, and active cooperation to protect an opponent during a belly-to-belly suplex.
The Cavinder twins, Haley and Hanna, represent another recruiting misstep. Signed to the first class in December 2021, the basketball stars possessed massive social media followings but little interest in the physical reality of the ring.
After training briefly at the Performance Center, both returned to collegiate basketball, first at Miami and then back to Fresno State. They utilized the program for visibility, leaving WWE with little to show for its promotion of the duo.
The Oba Femi Anomaly
The sole breakout star from the first class is Oba Femi, formerly known as Isaac Odugbesan. A shot put champion from the University of Alabama, Odugbesan possessed no professional wrestling background prior to 2021. Yet, his transition was immediate and dominant, culminating in a run as NXT North American Champion.
Odugbesan succeeded because his athletic background was built on raw, explosive vertical power and body control. In shot put, the athlete must generate maximum force from a stationary position, a mechanic that translates perfectly to power moves like the military press slam and the pop-up powerbomb.
Furthermore, track and field athletes do not have the combative muscle memory that amateur wrestlers must unlearn. Odugbesan did not have to train himself out of defensive counter-wrestling. He was a blank slate, standing six-foot-six and weighing 310 pounds, capable of executing high-impact maneuvers with precise timing.
His success, alongside defensive lineman Joe Spivak, who now performs as Tank Ledger, suggests that WWE's best collegiate targets are not amateur wrestlers. Instead, the promotion should prioritize explosive throwers and defensive linemen who understand spacing and physical positioning.
The Vetting Failures and the AJ Ferrari File
Beyond the low athletic conversion rate, the program has faced significant vetting issues. The most severe case involves former Oklahoma State wrestler AJ Ferrari, a member of the inaugural 2021 class. Ferrari was once viewed as a top prospect, but his legal history has repeatedly overshadowed his athletic potential.
In 2022, while at Oklahoma State, Ferrari was charged with felony sexual battery, leading to his dismissal from the university wrestling team. Those charges were eventually dismissed in October 2023, but they marked the beginning of a troubling pattern.
As PWInsider reported, Nebraska authorities are currently seeking Ferrari following the filing of multiple felony charges in Lancaster County. The warrant, issued in July 2026, charges Ferrari with assault by strangulation or suffocation of a pregnant woman, third-degree domestic assault, and first-degree false imprisonment. According to the arrest affidavit, the charges stem from an incident on May 8, 2026, at Ferrari's apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The victim alleged that during an argument, Ferrari confiscated her mobile phone to prevent her from contacting family, dragged her off a bed, and strangled her on the floor while pinning her down. Medical personnel at a local hospital documented abrasions and deep bruising on her neck, consistent with strangulation.
This warrant follows a prior arrest in June 2026, when the Nebraska State Patrol took Ferrari into custody after a high-speed chase. He faced charges of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and disturbing the peace, before being released after posting a $2,000 bond.
Ferrari's ongoing legal issues expose a glaring vulnerability in WWE's collegiate scouting. College athletic departments are notoriously protective of their star athletes, often masking behavioral issues until they spill over into the legal system. By signing athletes based purely on collegiate accolades and physical metrics, WWE bypassed the traditional character vetting that occurs naturally over years on the independent wrestling circuit.
The Return of the Independent Pipeline
Recognizing the inefficiency of the NIL model, WWE has begun shifting its developmental strategy. In October 2024, the company launched WWE Independent Development, a program designed to support independent wrestling schools and scout established talent.
This represented a tactical retreat from the collegiate pipeline. Independent wrestlers arrive in Orlando with hundreds of matches of experience, a developed character, and a proven ability to handle the travel and physical toll of the business.
Training an independent wrestler to work the television style takes between six and twelve months. Training a track athlete or football player takes three to five years, with a high probability of failure along the way. The mathematical reality of the NIL program is that the cost-per-successful-recruit is simply too high.
While Oba Femi is a generational talent, he is the exception that proves the rule. The future of WWE development lies not in the NCAA transfer portal, but in the small, sweaty armories where wrestlers have already paid to learn the craft.
