PUEBLO, Colo. – When the PBR Camping World Team Series kicks off July 12-14 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in eight short days, riders will very much approach the “team first” mentality as they battle it out alongside their brothers.

But with $100,000 and the honors to be named the 2024 PBR Teams MVP up for grabs, you bet your ass these cowboys will be doing all they can to end the season with the highest aggregate score as individuals, too.

And with plenty of event MVP, game payouts and beyond along the way, there’s plenty of cash, and respect, to be earned.

So, PBR.com is taking a deeper dive into what this year’s top PBR Teams MVP candidates look like from each of the PBR Teams’ 10 contending squads.

Alphabetically, of course, as we’ll save the drama for next week’s official Week 1 Power Rankings!

RELATED: 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series preseason power rankings

While guys like Boudreaux Campbell and Leonardo Castro may need to take on some tough matchups for their respective squads, they have more than enough skill to get the job done while giving their teams a chance at winning it all.

From chalk talk in taking two-time PBR Teams MVP Jose Vitor Leme to again lead his squad in conversions to seeing budding stars like Cort McFadden possibly pace his year one squad in qualified rides, you’ll recognize most of these names …

… As they’ve spent the last two months refining their skills in grinding their way to chart-topping status.

Arizona Ridge Riders: Eduardo Aparecido While it wouldn’t surprise us to see either Nick Tetz or Keyshawn Whitehorse lead the team in 2024 en route to making a push in their own right, it’s hard not to select Eduardo Aparecido here. Turning in a career-best No. 3 finish during his standout Unleash The Beast campaign via 30 8-second efforts, the 34-year-old has been riding like he’s on a mission. And after coming damn close to earning what would’ve been his first gold buckle back in May, he’s set to stay hot for his Arizona Ridge Riders this summer as they look to find themselves riding on Championship Sunday inside T-Mobile Arena once more. Just 11-for-28 last time around, the veteran knows he could’ve been a stronger presence in year two and will look to capitalize on his opportunity to lead his team in the third go.

Austin Gamblers: Jose Vitor Leme If you’re actually planning to hit the sportsbook, we’ll defer odds and strategies to our friends in that sector of the business, 100%. But as far as safe bets go to not only lead their team but potentially lead the entire league in qualified rides once again, it’s none other than two-time World Champion and two-time PBR Teams MVP Jose Vitor Leme. From his bleach-blonde 2023 season where he nearly led his Austin Gamblers to glory in Las Vegas to Champ’s 2022 season-best effort as he fueled the 5-on-5 series to a fiery debut en route to throwing down some of the rankest 90s on his resume, this circuit has been successful because Leme has showcased what drama looks like. What top-tier skill, day-in and out, really looks like. While he battled some lingering lower-body issues throughout his 2024 premier series campaign, he eventually decided to rest up ahead of the summer series. Which is great news for Austin and unfortunate for each of the other nine squads who will have to face him and the Michael Gaffney-guided contingent. Dalton Kasel and Kaique Pacheco could very well end up leading the team if Leme struggles to stay available. But if Leme is active, he’ll deliver.

Carolina Cowboys: Cooper Davis The most recent World Champion of the three, it’s supposed to be Daylon Swearingen, right? Or … after seeing Sage Steele Kimzey win the 2024 PBR World Finals event title en route to finishing No. 7 in the world, surely he’d be the top consideration? Just like the Gamblers, this squad’s top projected dawg could see either of his teammates end the year ahead in the PBR Teams MVP race. And he’d likely be very happy for them. But after sitting out the entire 2024 UTB campaign in getting his body in a good spot for this summer’s slate, it will be 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis who leads this NASCAR-fueled team to the finish line. Set up to be firing on all cylinders after providing some on-air analysis via CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network appearances, the veteran Carolina Cowboys’ veteran is back in the chutes. For as much as Kate Harrison and crew will miss chatting with him, after spending the inaugural session working alongside Kimzey in the booth during his own stint of broadcast action, the bull riding world is going to be pumped to have him back chasing the 8. As are the Cowboys.

Florida Freedom: John Crimber Just as it would be hard to look away from Eduardo Aparecido’s odds of leading his team in conversions after turning in a No. 3 finish, the Florida Freedom are all but assuming that World No. 2 and 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft No. 1 selection in John Crimber will do just the same should the rookie stay healthy this summer. Drafted to his father Paulo Crimber’s revamped and relocated red, white and blue unit, Crimber could very well run away with this thing depending on how healthy Leme, Cassio Dias and friends are. And even if the entire tour stays healthy, we’d still consider him one of the pack’s favorites to earn the highest combined aggregate score throughout this summer’s campaign. A whopping 29-for-66 via his insane rookie premier series season, he’s arguably the future of not only the Florida Freedom, but of PBR in general, and will ride accordingly during his first 5-on-5 go.

Kansas City Outlaws: Cassio Dias If Crimber was easy to nominate for Florida, then 2024 World Champion Cassio Dias was a no-brainer selection here for the Kansas City Outlaws, just one summer after nearly surprising Leme in 2023 (eventually coming up just one ride score short of the honors). Dias has only improved since last suiting up for the Outlaws, with plenty of accolades added via an electric rookie UTB season of his own. Another year closer to J.W. Hart, Guilherme Marchi and his Kansas City teammates, the stars could very well align for Dias to capture his first PBR Teams MVP honors after winning several event MVPs last season. Leading the way with 41 premier series conversions this past spring, we know Dias has what it takes to win both a Teams MVP en route to leading his Outlaws unit to a gold buckle. We just have to see how healthy the Brazilian standout is and can remain.

Missouri Thunder: Boudreaux Campbell A hard-working, “give me any bull you need” talent in Boudreaux Campbell should fit in just fine with what Head Coach Ross Coleman is looking for out of his guys. Not only that, but he knows the team believes in him after being acquired from the Carolina Cowboys earlier this spring. Andrew Alvidrez and Campbell should push each other in wanting to be the best, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Alvidrez returns to the Top 5 form we’ve seen him perform as back in 2023. And with youngster Felipe Furlan coming on strong during last year’s 2023 PBR Teams Championship, later parlayed with a respectable No. 25 UTB finish, he and Paulo Eduardo Rossetto have their own shots of serving as their team’s most productive rider. At the very least, they’ll push Campbell and crew to keep the well-rounded squad productive game in and out. But this team will need the former Carolina contributor to get them going early and often if they want to compete in 2024.

Nashville Stampede: Kaiden Loud After having a next-level, 3-for-4 showing during the opening stage of the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations inside Cowtown Coliseum, Nashville superstar Kaiden Loud is set to lead the way for the Justin McBride contingent in 2024. Finishing No. 6 in the world during his rookie UTB campaign, he was one of several first-year sensations to light the tour on fire. But when it comes to rank rides, it seems Loud has a knack for stepping up when the lights shine brightest. And with this summer’s session representing his second on the PBR Teams circuit, he should be warmed up and ready to come in clutch for the Nashville Stampede once again. He, Dalton Kasel, Cassio Dias, John Crimber and Jose Vitor Leme have to be early-season favorites for Teams MVP right now … which says a lot about Loud to be included in said company. Alan de Souza could challenge the youngster as a very consistent presence for Nashville, but if Loud can bring some of his World Finals momentum with him and get on a hot streak to start the season off, there’s no telling how bright this star could shine.

New York Mavericks: Leonardo Castro Maybe we have a bit of rookie fever spilling over from seeing first-year talent take over the 2024 UTB campaign, but it’s also very possible Leonardo Castro leads his squad’s inaugural journey around the 5-on-5 circuit in qualified rides. Finishing No. 17 overall during his standout premier series season, the 20-year-old has showcased high-end flashes, which will very much come in handy for New York Mavericks Head Coach Kody Lostroh and friends. Having converted in 16 of his 39 opportunities during his UTB season, he’s definitely a threat to Vitor Losnake, Braidy Randolph and No. 3 overall selection Hudson Bolton to pace New York in 8-second ventures. But we have a feeling nobody would be upset if the Brazilian took another step forward in establishing himself as a tour staple this summer.

Oklahoma Wildcatters: Cort McFadden This could be one of the hardest calls to make of the 10 squads, as any of Clay Guiton, Cort McFadden, Austin Richardson or Josh Frost could end the season with the most qualified rides. Which is a good problem, as J.B. Mauney and his front office have assembled quite the talented squad for 2024. Given we don’t know exactly when Richardson will be available, let alone 100%, we’ll rule him out for now. Frost, while competitive when he’s around, hasn’t been on PBR bulls regularly in a while. And while Guiton will very likely provide some of the highest-scored and flashiest rides for the Wildcatters during their inaugural trip around the PBR Camping World Team Series circuit, McFadden is the most likely to end the season above the 15-conversion mark. He was extremely solid during his rookie campaign competing against the world’s top talents. Eventually exiting AT&T Stadium ranked No. 16, he shined bright in 2024. Most importantly in the ride-or-nothing series, he was extremely consistent, thus boosting his odds of leading the way for Oklahoma in year one.

Texas Rattlers: Braidy Fielder As mentioned above, 70 or 80-some points beat a buckoff 100 times out of 100 in any variation of the sport. But when it comes to averaging out and/or combining said scores in the 5-on-5 landscape, guys like Braidy Fielder and Alan de Souza’s less-than-perfect (albeit always better than nothing) attempts are quite valuable. While both of the cowboys have approached different strategies when it comes to whether they actually keep those scores or not during the individual season, the reality of the situation is that those rides can be game-winning and season-altering when it comes to PBR Teams. With 2.5 scores or so usually good enough to win a game, that imperfect score can be the difference-maker more times than not. And given he just produced a career-best No. 8 finish during the UTB slate, not to mention helping the Texas Rattlers exit the 2023 Teams season as champions, we believe the Australian talent will continue his hot run for Cody Lambert and company this summer.

Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media