Its not the exceptions. I gave three specific people. But I also gave you an entire church and Christian community in Antioch before Paul.
Before Paul arrived, the Gentile Christians in Antioch were converted by Greek-speaking Jewish-Christian refugees (Hellenists) from Cyprus and Cyrene who fled Jerusalem following the stoning of Stephen.
The verses do not say specifically that "these gentile Christians were saved before Paul". But they say they were established before Paul. Acts 11 covers this. In particular verse 18 which showed the gentiles were now included because the spirit came upon them just like in the beginning with the Jewish disiciples.
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
"Repentence that leads to life". This was the gospel. They now had no objections and people heard about this and the news spread that gentiles could be saved. This is well before Paul. Are we to believe that after this no gentiles were saved ?
and particularly just after verse 18 when this news spread
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
A great number of gentiles were saved and the Lords had a hand was in it of course through His spirit. Notice who spread the good news to the gentiles. It was men from Cyprus and Cyrene. The forgotton disiciples who preached the good news and saved many gentiles.
It was after this that Paul comes along. Barnabas was aleady overseering the growing gentile communities. When Paul came along later Barnabas thought of Paul (being appointed as disiciple to the gentiles) brought him in as the perfect leader and teacher and re-enforce the gospel and church.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
So Barbabas was also ministering to the gentiles before Paul. He became Pauls companion for much of his missionaries.
It seems the church in Antioch was happening far away and the disciples were not fully aware. It was like a seperate outbreak that happened as a result of Christians fleeing Jerusalem after Stephens execution. Which was very early after Christ. Once the news got out that the gentiles could also be saved it quickly spread beyond Jerusalem and Judea.