With X1’s debut coming up, let’s look back at some trainees that were on 'Produce X 101' who did not make the cutline but were also very deserving of a chance to debut/ re-debut. (Disclaimer: This is in no way to say the current members of X1 are not deserving of debuting, these are just 11 other contestants that should also get to debut!)

1. Lee Jinhyuk

Although Jinhyuk has already debuted once with UP10TION, many were extremely disappointed when it was announced that Lee Jinhyuk did not make the debut cutoff for Produce X 101. (Lee Dongwook’s face when he announced it says it all) Jinhyuk is an extremely skilled performer who also showed amazing leadership in his time on the show. Proving himself as an all-rounder with a dorky and lovable personality to match, he was a fan favorite contestant who sparked a lot of talk when he didn’t make the final lineup, placing 11th in the final episode. TOP Media is currently promoting him as a solo artist and he is currently embarking on a few fan meets and will have a solo debut coming soon. Please send him lots of love!

2. Byungchan

Another member that has technically already ‘debuted’ is Byungchan. Although Byungchan was doing well on the show and was slowly rising the ranks, he had to pull out for personal reasons. It was later revealed that it was because of his chronic leg injury. Byungchan has now returned to VICTON and will be continuing to promote with his team. On Produce X 101, Byungchan showed his ability to pull off any concepts thrown his way. We are excited to see more from him as he continues to perform with VICTON.

3. Minkyu

Although there were mixed reactions when it was announced that Mingkyu did not make the cutline, I personally do think that Minkyu deserves to debut. It is obvious he has a large fanbase and a whole community of people that are ready to support him. In Produce X 101, Minkyu mentioned about the stress he faced on the show because of the comments he receives because of his skills. While many were quick to criticize Minkyu, they seemed to forget that he is still young and had only been training for a few months prior to his appearance on the show. While on Produce X 101, Minkyu had already been able to improve drastically over the period of a short few months and he shows potential for future improvement. Although he did not make the lineup, perhaps this could be beneficial for him in the long run since he now has more time to slowly hone his skills and debut under a less stressful circumstance in the future. So far there has not been news by his entertainment company about his debut, but until then, fans will wait patiently for him.

4. Suhwan

I know I can't be the only one who's checking every few days to see if independent trainee Choi Suhwan has been signed by an Entertainment Company. It is an absolute waste if a trainee as talented and skilled as Choi Suhwan doesn’t get to debut because he is so ready to be performing on stage. Suhwan has an extremely big international fanbase who are hopefully awaiting news about him. In Produce X 101, Suhwan mentioned he auditioned for 30-40 entertainment companies but was sadly rejected by all of them. He even went on to comment on how it was probably because of his looks and height. (Which is heartbreaking because he is extremely adorable) Fans are hoping that some Entertainment Company will be smart enough to sign him soon. (And they should!) Looking at the 130k followers he has on his personal Instagram account, it is evident that Suhwan has got the fanbase and he’s definitely got the skills to match. 

5. Yun Seong

Trainee Yun Seong has got to be one of the best dancers of the season. When it was revealed that he did not make it in the final episode, many were disappointed that his talents wouldn’t be showcased to the world for a while more. However, one piece of good news is that Woollim Entertainment has recently released the teaser for a brand new project called 'W Project 4' and he is one of the trainees shown in the short 20-second clip. Hopefully, we won't have to wait for long before we get to see his powerful dance again.

6. Yuvin

Although Yuvin has already debuted in MYTEEN, he proved in his time on the show that he was more than capable to take on the position of Main Vocalist on the show. Also, his banter with Suhwan will go down as one of the cutest friendly rivalries in Produce History. While many are upset that he was unable to debut in X1, he will be going onto promote as a subunit with his labelmate Kookheon. While MYTEEN has sadly disbanded, Yuvin and Kookheon have just released a song together called 'Blurry' and you can check it out here.

7. Kookheon

Another trainee on the show that has proved himself ready and worthy of debuting is Kookheon who showed his skills as a vocalist, a rapper and a dancer while on the show. His performance in Move was so good that many people were unable to tell that he was performing while injured. Till today, it is still shocking that he didn’t even make it to the top 20 on the show because he was more than deserving of a position higher than 21. He has just debuted in a subunit with Yuvin and they are currently doing fan meets within Korea.

8. Baekjin

Many fans watching produce x 101 loved Baekjin time and it is disappointing that Baekjin got eliminated so early on in the show. While on the show, Trainee Baekjin proved himself more than capable as a dancer as he showed off his skills in each of his performances. ‘Baekjin time’ will definitely go down as an iconic moment from the show's series. Although there is no current news about his debut, many fans are still hoping he will get a platform to showcase his skill.

9. Hyeonsu

Hyeonsu is another trainee that has jaw-dropping skills as a dancer and he honestly deserves a lot more recognition than he was given on the program. On the program, Hyeonsu mentioned how this could really be his last chance to debut since he debuted in BLK which sadly disbanded in 2017. His father was also seen asking fans to support him through a fan support project in which he held a large sign asking people to vote for his son. We hope that Hyeonsu does not give up on his dream because he has so many people rooting for him.

10. Midam

One trainee with a lot of international fans is Lee Midam. And it’s no surprise why. Midam is an all-rounder who proved himself able to fill any role thrown his way while he was on the show. Honestly, if he had gotten more screen time, he probably could have placed a lot higher than the final ranking he received. While it may be a while more until fans get to see Lee Midam on stage, many will still wait patiently for his debut.

11. Kim Sihoon

Last but not least, Kim Sihoon is another trainee that fans were upset to see not in the lineup, or even in the top 20 for that matter. He has proved himself center-worthy material while he was on the show, especially in the Super Special Girl stage, but sadly did not make the final 20. One thing that fans are thankful for is that he’s under Brand New Music, which is a label with many other talented trainees. One can only hope that he will be in the lineup for the new boy group they debut. (But that could be a while later since AB6IX just debuted not long ago)

Did we miss any other trainees that you think deserves to debut?