PUEBLO, Colo. — While PBR Teams general managers, coaches and riders are putting in the work right now with the hopes of seeing their squads be the last team standing inside T-Mobile Arena October 18-20 during the 2024 PBR Teams Championship …

… they shouldn’t be too concerned with where their respective squads are theoretically ranked ahead of the third regular season slate of bull riding.

But with the ever-growing lore and action-packed schedule set to provide the 5-on-5 tour’s supporters with another summer of team-based suspense, we know our fans have already begun looking ahead as to what these squads can bring to the table in 20-some days.

So, here we are, getting in on the fun!

While teams endure their respective training camp sessions and continue to execute roster moves week in and out, PBR.com is taking a preseason gander at where this summer’s revamped rosters may rank in the long run, with just under a month until the camaraderie-driven campaign gets its third season underway.

These rankings serve as a mere suggestion as to how things may play out ahead of week 1 (set to begin in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 12-14 at the first-ever Wildcatter Days showdown) and will be updated again come early July, with weekly rankings posted to PBR.com on Tuesdays once the season is officially underway.

Fans can stay tuned to the league’s official 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Series standings here once the action begins and are encouraged to share their own rankings with us on @PBR social media channels!

With all of this summer’s action set to debut on the Merit Street Media, be sure to download the Merit + app and bookmark the Merit Street Media homepage, as they’ll be the home to all 10 teams and 12 events of the epic summer series!

To catch all the PBR action on Merit Street, fans can use the channel finder on meritstreetmedia.com or call 1-877-844-3700 for local help.

Additionally, PBR events will stream live on the free Merit+ app, which is available on all digital devices as well as on streaming devices such as smart TVs, Roku, etc.

Enough rambling – Onto the preseason power rankings!

No. 1: Austin Gamblers When you’ve exited both of the first two PBR Camping World Team Series campaigns with regular season titles, it’s hard not to wind up at the top of the year three preseason projections. When you roster two-time PBR Teams MVP Jose Vitor Leme, “Mr. 90 point” Dalton Kasel and recently acquired 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco, you’ve got to feel pretty good about your odds of continuing to dominate this summer, exactly what the green and black contingent will look to do in 2024. Sacrificing some high-quality depth in Austin Richardson and Cort McFadden in order to complete the Pacheco deal, they’ll need their talented trio to stay healthy and stay converting if they hope to succeed, which could very much be in the cards. With plenty of skilled guys like Ezekiel Mitchell, Ramon de Lima, Lucas Divino and friends ready to give their all, they are considered favorites by most at this point.

RELATED: Austin Gamblers “all-in” once again during year three of PBR Teams competition

No. 2: Kansas City Outlaws Featuring not only 2024 World Champion Cassio Dias, but several of the tour’s trending standout talents in Julio Cesar Marques, Koltin Hevalow, Wingson Henrique da Silva, Bob Mitchell and beyond, J.W. Hart and Guilherme Marchi have plenty to work with in year three. The orange and black squad is expected to compete against the Gamblers as one of the circuit’s top dogs during the exciting 5-on-5 series, notably bringing one of the closest and most spirited groups in the locker room into what should be a very productive campaign. With veteran Marcus Mast getting back in the swing of things after a year off and the squad drafting a pair of riders who may be able to help sooner than later in Maikon Calixto Rocha and Brennon Eldred, there is plenty of scenarios where this squad ends the year with a gold buckle. At the end of the day, this team goes where Dias takes them. And after ending his rookie Unleash The Beast season as the world’s top-ranked rider, we expect this unit to be amongst the top contenders all summer long.

No. 3: Texas Rattlers Speaking of winning it all, the 2023 PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers enter this year’s preseason rankings at the No. 3 spot after returning a majority of its riders from last year’s buckle-winning bunch. Able to add a skilled rookie in Shane Scott via the team’s first-round selection at the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft, they are poised to shoot for the moon again in season three as one of grittier groups on tour. That’s partially thanks to Head Coach Cody Lambert who settles for nothing less than a whole lotta try and a whole lotta success. One of the deeper squads overall to start the summer, with the likes of Joao Ricardo Vieira, Brady Fielder, Cody Jesus, Daniel Keeping, Brady Oleson and company, look for the defending champs to come out firing on all cylinders as the defending champions.

RELATED: 2023 PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers add four riders to team’s talent-packed roster at 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft

No. 4: Arizona Ridge Riders Power rankings are, of course, a mix of projecting future prospects balanced with observing past results. And as the only squad to rank within the Top 3 at both of the league’s postseason shows in 2022 and 2023, the Arizona Ridge Riders absolutely deserve to be regarded amongst the circuit’s best bets to thrive in 2024. While the squad may have lost Paulo Crimber’s coaching wisdom to the Florida Freedom, they were able to acquire veteran Dener Barbosa as a chute-side talent while returning a heavy-hitting locker room including Keyshawn Whitehorse, Nick Tetz, Eduardo Aparecido, Luciano De Castro and beyond; all of whom have flashed at different times during the first two seasons of action. While the team lacks a “superstar” per se, they should be regarded alongside the 2023 Champion Texas Rattlers as one of deepest teams in the league after adding free agents in Eli Vastbinder and drafting JaCauy Hale during last month’s draft, with a Colten Fritzlan piece awaiting in the Injured Reserve wings. Head Coach Colby Yates will once again look to get the most out of his extremely quality lineup.

No. 5: Carolina Cowboys If the Gamblers and Outlaws are in a tier of their own, each of the Rattlers, Ridge Riders, Richard Childress’ Carolina Cowboys and No. 6 Oklahoma Wildcatters would occupy the secondary tier, as the blue and white contingent is plenty talented themselves. With 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis, 2022 World Champion Daylon Swearingen and 2024 PBR World Finals event winner Sage Steele Kimzey set to serve as the team’s trio of clutch performers, they’ll hope that the likes of a returning Derek Kolbaba and Dawson Branton and folks can provide enough conversions in secondary roles. If that ends up being the case, they can help the checkered flag squad get back on track in year three after suffering an early exit inside T-Mobile Arena last fall. Typically revered closer to the Top 3, the team saw both Josh Frost and Boudreaux Campbell depart over the offseason. But after spending another training camp working with the Navy SEALS, they very much understand the mental and physical requirements needed in order to take their game to the next level. And with General Manager Austin Dillon continuing to fuel his reputation as one of the league’s most active and ever-exploring executives, fans can expect the team to rocket into the fast lane in 2024 with a well-rested Davis.

RELATED: Carolina Cowboys add three riders to team’s roster at 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft

No. 6: Oklahoma Wildcatters Is there a chance J.B. Mauney suits up for his squad this summer after spending the last six months getting back into the PBR swing of things? Not very likely, as the organization celebrated the legend’s official retirement during the 2024 PBR World Finals. But as the now Head Coach for one of the circuit’s two new expansion franchises, he’s bringing just as much excitement to PBR Teams as he did when he was climbing into the chutes.

Potentially just as exciting as the skip’s reputation is the year one squad he’s been able to assemble for Oklahoma, as the team is well-balanced with both capable veterans and plenty of up-and-coming youngsters. Having selected Clay Guiton with its No. 2 overall selection in Nashville last month, plus acquiring McFadden and Richardson via the Pacheco trade, there’s no doubt that the Wildcatters could find themselves with a spot clinched to compete inside T-Mobile this fall. With veterans in Josh Frost and Kyler Oliver set to help anchor things in the regular rotation and a hopeful star in Hayden Harris expected to contribute right away, and if Richardson can come back at be even two-thirds of the chart-topping talent he was last winter, this team has a chance to succeed. Regardless of where they rank entering or finishing the team’s first campaign of clashes, we can guarantee the riders are very much jazzed to be suited up for Mauney and company as Oklahoma’s new-look unit.

No. 7: Florida Freedom With the third tier of preseason rankings featuring each of the Florida Freedom, Missouri Thunder, Nashville Stampede and New York Mavericks, the four teams seem pretty interchangeable at this point, all things considered. Some have the new franchise home of John Crimber a bit higher in their own rankings, as we’ve seen the 18-year-old phenom nearly capture the 2024 World Championship honors inside AT&T Stadium not too long ago. Paired up with his father Paulo Crimber as the bloodline looks to make a statement for Florida during their first season competing down in the southeast, the red, white and blue crew could very likely make some splashes sooner than later. Knowing Caden Bunch has been able to find some elite success during his own rookie season and Thiago Salgado stormed into the 2024 individual season with some noise of his own, they have a young group to build around for years to come. Veteran Alex Cerqueira just turned in a No. 20-ranked effort himself and Conner Halverson is plenty capable. And if Casey Roberts can stay healthy, they will be sitting in a fine position ahead of the postseason gauntlet. Especially when you consider they have to be one of the biggest winners from the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft with the likes of Crimber, Eric Henrique Domingos and Gavin Hauck, they will be ready to compete here in year one under the new crest.

No. 8: Missouri Thunder If the entire third tier is sitting in the same company right now, the No. 8 and No. 9 ranks were the hardest to decide of this batch, with the reloaded Missouri Thunder and new-look Nashville Stampede are separated by the smallest of margins. For the sake of season-long outlooks, we’re leaning to the Thunder at the eight spot, as they have a bit more youth overall than Nashville. Set to be anchored by one of the hardest-working duos in Boudreaux Campbell (who the team recently acquired from the Carolina Cowboys) and captain Andrew Alvidrez, nobody is questioning the work this squad is putting in ahead of year three. Especially after seeing the unit make a Cinderella Story-like run of their last fall. Entering the contest in the No. 8 spot (of 8, at the time), they eventually found themselves competing on Championship Sunday, albeit coming up just short against the Austin Gamblers. Between newcomers like Campbell and some youngsters like Trace Redd, Dawson Gleaves, Tristin Parker set to combine efforts with returning stars in Felipe Ferlan and Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (who just turned in No. 25 and No. 28 UTB rankings, respectively), not to mention a Briggs Madsen piece, they have the talent to compete. They just need to put the pieces together sooner than later this season, having lurked toward the bottom of the standings in both of the tour’s opening two sessions.

RELATED: Reloaded Thunder ready to win with Boudreaux Campbell, Tristin Parker and company

No. 9: Nashville Stampede Yes, they were able to secure the first overall bragging rights back in 2022 thanks to the talents of Kaique Pacheco, Ryan Dirteater and friends, but that was a different time and a different Stampede roster. That’s nothing against the fiery likes of Kaiden Loud, Alan de Souza, Mason Taylor teaming up with Chase Outlaw set to lead the way for Justin McBride’s yellow and blue group, either. Which, again, matching them up against Missouri, may present more overall star-power than the Thunder. And with a bit older of a collective core, they find themselves above only the second expansion team in 2024 to begin the slate. If they hope to find some early-season success in 2024, they have to hope World Champion Jess Lockwood is able to either pull off one hell of a comeback or provide quite the inspirational mentorship after seeing the squad surrender a first-round selection in exchange for his services some time ago. That said, McBride has never had a problem getting a rise out of his team, regardless of the many shapes and shifts its endured thus far. Knowing Kaiden Loud has all of the tools necessary to make a run at the 2024 PBR Teams MVP honors, it’ll be up to his supporting cast of veterans to help take this team where they want to go:

Back atop the shark cage come October 20!

No. 10: New York Mavericks Just as the Wildcatters will need to do, the New York Mavericks have plenty to prove as one of the two new kids on the block. While Oklahoma appears to have equipped themselves with more “win now” talent, which isn’t a surprise with the Dragon Slayer himself atop the coaching helm, Kody Lostroh and Ednei Caminhas will need to get the most out of the guys they’ve elected to begin their inaugural season with should they hope to make some noise this summer. Then again, the 5-on-5 series has very much been a landscape for upcoming riders to show their stuff off, so we wouldn’t be surprised if some newcomers in Marco Rizzo and Hudson Bolton shock the world and come out hotter than some of the tour’s established teams and riders. Not to mention trending talents like Leonardo Castro, Vitor Losnake, Braidy Randolph and beyond!

After all, that’s why you play the game!

RELATED: Rookie Report: Hudson Bolton thrilled to join Mavericks after stellar combine performance

Fans are encouraged to share their feedback and power rankings of their own by tagging @PBR social media channels!

Summer supporters can also stay tuned to PBR.com and Merit Street Media platforms as we continue to ramp up 5-on-5 series content ahead of the third season of dramatic showdowns!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media