NXT After the Great Call-Up Purge: Saved by the Bell – The New Class
You know that feeling when your favorite show hits a massive cast shake-up? The core stars graduate, the set stays exactly the same, and suddenly you’re watching a bunch of new faces try to recapture the old magic in the same damn hallways?
Welcome to NXT in May 2026.
They called up literally everyone who was carrying the brand: Jordynne Grace, Oba Femi, Trick Williams, Sol Ruca, Ethan Page, Joe Hendry, Fatal Influence, Ricky Saints, Blake Monroe… the list goes on.
It’s like Zack Morris, Kelly, Slater, Lisa Turtle, and Screech all got shipped off to college in one brutal semester.
And what did we get left with? Saved by the Bell: The New Class.
Same Bayside High (the Performance Center), same lockers, same rivalries… brand new ensemble cast still figuring out who the hell they are.
Here’s the official casting call:
The Anchor Who Stayed BehindTony D’Angelo = Cool Screech
The one guy who survived the purge, inherited the throne, and somehow made it work. He’s not the flashy transfer student — he’s the weird mob-kid side character who stuck around, leveled all the way up, and is now your NXT Champion running the school like a don.
Reliable, entertaining, and low-key the glue holding this reboot together. Mission Accomplished.
The New Clique Trying to Run the School: The Vanity Project = The Cool Kids Table
Jackson Drake (leader) = Trying-Too-Hard New Zack Morris
Babyface, high-school-heartthrob looks (dude was born in 2003 and still looks like he has a homeroom), big entrances, big talk, leading his crew like he’s the main character now. The writers are clearly pushing him as the fresh face of the post-purge era.Brad Baylor = Slater
Tall, blond, athletic jock with tag title swagger. The cocky muscle who rolls deep with the leader and always looks ready for a beach party or a title defense.Ricky Smokes = Hyper Chaotic Slater/Screech Hybrid
Loud, expressive, always hyped, throwing up the Vs, bringing unhinged party energy. The wingman who might start a riot but keeps the group entertaining.Myka Lockwood = Mean Girl / New Lisa Turtle
Glam, fashionable, attitude for days. The Vanity Project’s fashion-forward wildcard who brings the heat in the mixed stable dynamic.
Breakout Wildcard of the Reboot: Shiloh Hill = The Random New Transfer Who Immediately Pops
Tatted, chaotic, funny as hell, insane look and presence. Dude wandered in from another show and is already stealing segments and winning over crowds.
He might end up being the surprise fan favorite of this entire New Class era. Keep your eye on him.
More Key New Class Roles
Lola Vice (Women’s Champion) = The New Kelly Kapowski Who Can Actually Fight —The popular, charismatic one holding it down while the big names left.
Tatum Paxley = Quirky Unpredictable Best Friend Jessie Spano Energy — Been on a roll, weird in the best way.
Myles Borne (North American Champion) = Earnest Jock / Surprisingly Competent Screech — Tech-savvy, athletic, quietly getting the job done as a top guy.
The midcard is full of those “filler transfer students” who exist to make the main crew look good for now (Cutler James, Sean Legacy, etc.).
Some will rise. Some will get written off by “next season.”
The Current Vibe
We’re three (or more) meh episodes deep into the growing pains. That’s normal for a reboot. The old stars left massive shoes to fill, the new hierarchy is still sorting itself out, and the show is in full “figuring it out” mode.
But that’s also when these things can surprise you — remember how some of The New Class cast members ended up becoming beloved anyway?
NXT isn’t dead. It’s just in that awkward post-graduation phase where the new kids have to prove they belong in the building. Tony’s anchoring it, Vanity Project is trying to be the new cool clique, Shiloh’s popping off, and Lola’s holding the women’s division together.
The hallways are the same. The potential is still there. Now it’s just a matter of which new transfers turn into the next legends… and which ones get transferred out by graduation day.
