FORT WORTH, Texas – Everybody loves an underdog.

But in a sport dominated by individual performances, even within the 5-on-5 landscape of PBR Camping World Team Series competition, it’s damn hard to see an “up-and-coming” talent truly outperform dozens of established veterans, if not skilled youngsters.

Yet, knowing the likes of the Daniel Keeping and Cassio Dias talents of the industry have used this very platform to announce their arrivals suggests we’ll likely see another couple of breakout seasons from guys fans might not expect to top the charts.

RELATED: Four riders to watch throughout fourth season of PBR Camping World Team Series

After seeing Florida Freedom standout John Crimber capture the league-leading accolade in year three, we have formal evidence that the new kids on the block can make some waves.

But when we consider the first two MVP honors were earned by now three-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme, it’s easy to see why the safe money is on a familiar face to record the most qualified rides at the end of the 2025 season.

That doesn’t mean guys from each of the league’s 10 squads won’t be giving their all, both for their respective teams and as their performances relate to points on the MVP board.

Which means PBR.com is set to call a few shots here ahead of next month’s second-ever Wildcatter Days season-opener, set to invade Paycom Center July 11-13 for the first of 12 regular season showdowns!

Eduardo Matos – Oklahoma Wildcatters
Eduardo Matos turned in a shocking No. 6 placement in the 2024 PBR Teams MVP race rocking with his Oklahoma Wildcatters, the Brazilian ended the individual season ranked No. 63 after riding just one bull across his three events attended. 

That won’t stop us from considering him a bounce-back candidate when Wildcatter Days rolls around, though, as the international talent truly put on a show last summer, pacing his team with an 18-for-29 record. Recording the sixth-most conversions across the third season of team-based antics, he put himself on the radar for seasons to come, trailing only Leme, Crimber, Dias, Brady Fielder and Sandro Batista. Which is quite an encouraging sign, considering it was essentially his rookie season after drawing into just three matchups in 2023.

We can’t promise that he’ll be able to repeat his breakout run from last summer – But if there’s anybody on the Wildcatters outside Cort McFadden the team can or will turn to in 2025, it’s him.

Alex Cerqueira – Florida Freedom
Alex Cerqueira, who produced a welcome 12-for-22 slate back in 2024. Rarely does the Brazilian cowboy provide eye-popping rides at this point in his career. But within a race that counts each and every point earned throughout the regular season, his ability to consistently contribute keeps him within the “Dark Horse” pack of hopefuls come July. 

Cerqueira just recently claimed a win during last Thursday’s weekly PBR Stockyards Showcase event, which is a good sign for the cowboy who turned in a mere No. 43 rank during the most recent individual campaign. Just three spots away from qualifying for the 2025 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast, his 11-for-37 record as a regular gives him something to build on when he returns to the chutes alongside Head Coach Paulo Crimber and friends. After settling for his No. 18 rank in last season’s MVP race, one spot ahead of teammate Joao Lucas Campos, and turning in a No. 19 effort during the 2023 campaign, will the smile-forward cowboy be able to climb the standings while recording a third-straight Top 20 campaign? He’ll likely need to borrow a few Shootout Round outs from his good buddy in Crimber if he’s to pull it off!

Boudreaux Campbell – Missouri Thunder
Missouri Thunder star Boudreaux Campbell has the reputation and skillset to get things back on track after a bit of a down year or two. Head Coach Ross Coleman believes in this man – And that goes a long way to the athlete himself as well as fans around the world rooting for a quick turnaround. Knowing the Thunder acquired Campbell for a first-round draft pick last spring suggests they are still very invested in him, too, both from an emotional and organizational standpoint. Turning in a No. 35 rank at the end of the 2025 premier series run courtesy of a 15-for-48 showing, we know he’s got plenty more to offer. So, we also understand he’s going to be bringing some passion and grind to Paycom Center. Hell, it’s already been on display throughout social media circles as the Bass Pro Shop-owned contingent continues to grind away at training camp and practice bull sessions. 

Producing a 9-for-23 record last season during his first run with the Thunder, it was indeed an off year for the 26-year-old Crockett, Texas, native. Which infers we’ve seen some greatness from him in the past, which is exactly the case for the 2020 PBR Rookie of the Year. At the same time, he’s never finished above the No. 19 rank in the MVP race quite yet (2022: No. 19; 2023: No. 27; 2024: No. 23), mostly due to the idea that he’s regularly welcomed the rankest bull in the pen, offering to lay on the grenade for his team, if you will. With tough, gritty guys like Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, Andrew Alvidrez and folks sharing the locker room with Campbell, we expect to see that pair of heavy-hitters potentially soak up some of those tough matchups, which could very well create a path for Campbell to return to greatness.

Mason Taylor – New York Mavericks
A team like the New York Mavericks, who are set to embark upon their second season of PBR Camping World Team series ventures, should be open to welcoming wins, if not qualified rides, from just about anywhere at this point. Which is why a proven rider like Mason Taylor has been welcomed to the locker room with open arms since joining the team towards the end of 2024. Tying Mauricio Gulla Moreira with a team-high seven conversions across 21 outs (to Moreira’s 24), he made his presence felt and has continued to do so throughout the offseason grind sessions with Head Coach Kody Lostroh and company. 

Finishing the UTB season one rank back from the aforementioned Campbell, Taylor’s 14-for-54 record was good enough to punch himself a ticket to the season-culminating showdown in Central Texas. Ending the year ranked No. 35 suggests he’s got much more to accomplish if he wants to be revered as an elite talent, something he was initially viewed as a few years back when he stormed onto the scene. And after serving as a bit of a depth piece on his former teams, he has the opportunity to ride in a majority, if not all, of the Mavericks’ games this season as a sincere contributor.

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media