“Surreal experience”: Brayden Beason’s journey from local soccer player to Division I star and MLS prospect

As he returns for a second season with the Chupacabras, Brayden Beason sits down with club journalist Grayson Pitts to reflect on a whirlwind 12 months and discuss how he is preparing for the 2026 USL League Two season.

In 2024, Beason made the WCC All-Freshman team after tallying five goals and one assist. Through two collegiate seasons, he has appeared in 32 career games, including 27 starts.

He says it “means a lot” to play for a local semi-professional team in McKinney Chupacabras FC.

Entering the club’s second season, Beason is eager to continue his personal growth and the team’s development. He has high expectations for Year 2 of Chupacabras soccer. 

For Brayden Beason, soccer has always been more than a game. It’s been his lifestyle since he was 3 years old. 

Growing up in Keller, he didn’t play many sports — just soccer and a brief stint in baseball.

That passion and lifelong dedication to soccer carried him to new heights last December while on vacation in Hawaii with friends. He was selected in the third round, No. 73 overall, by Real Salt Lake in the 2026 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, something he called a “surreal experience.” 

The forward finished up his sophomore season at the University of San Francisco, where he earned All-West Coast Conference honors. In 2025, Beason netted a career-best seven goals, including two game-winners, and helped the Dons finish fourth in the WCC with a 10-6-1 overall record, including a 5-4 mark in conference play. The seven goals and two game-winners were good for second on the team.

“I think that Mr. (Shawn) Culbertson is going to do something special with this group of guys,” he said. “I think it's going to be a special season.”

It’s never easy for an expansion team to have success from the jump. First, a team has to build a foundation and a culture. For the Chupacabras, that culture was centered around friendship — something that stood out to Beason a lot and played a major role in his decision to return for a second season.

“The friendships I made,” he said. “DFW is such a big area, and it was nice to get some of the best players in that area on the team.”

A crucial aspect of building a culture is leadership. Everything must have a leader or leaders in order to succeed. Beason stepped up to the challenge and led by example, though can be vocal when he deems it necessary.

Looking back, the business management major said the inaugural season was “super surreal,” adding that he is especially thankful to Culbertson, a minority owner of the club, for inviting him to try out. 

Family has also played a central role in Beason’s journey.

“They've been nothing but supportive about everything I've done with my soccer journey,” Beason said. “Whether I make a wrong or right decision, they're going to back me no matter what because it's the decision I picked. I would do anything for any one of them.”

Soccer may be his passion, but Beason also has hobbies off the pitch. He enjoys hiking, looking at sunsets and playing video games. He tries to be outside as much as he can, though that can be challenging with his busy seven-day-a-week training schedule. He also is a self-proclaimed “Harry Potter nerd.”

For 2026, Beason’s ambitions are clear — team success first, with personal goals close behind.

“Win as many games as we can for the fans,” he said. “Personally, I would love to sign a first-team contract with Real Salt Lake either during the summer, or if needed, during the winter.”

Through just one season, Chupacabras supporters have already made a lasting impression on him.

“They’ve been super supportive,” Beason said. “Last year wasn't the year I think many of us were expecting, and they still showed out with some of the most fans in the USL League Two. So, I think that once we start winning, I think they'll back us more than what they've already done.”

This is a huge year for soccer in the U.S., especially in Dallas, with the men’s World Cup. Beason will tune in to as many World Cup matches as he can with his teammates — moments he believes help strengthen the culture and relationships that carry over onto the field. 

He finished last season with the second-most goals (three) on the Chupacabras. His name is forever etched in the club’s history books after scoring the first in franchise history during a 4-3 home loss to the Denton Diablos on May 24.

Beason believes experience and cohesion are key to helping the Chupacabras make a leap this season.

“I feel like we had a fairly young team (last year),” Beason said. “I think a lot of people getting some minutes in college and then some guys playing outside of college really helps us gain experience. I think us really coming together as a team in our second year will be good. The first year was just feeling it out, seeing how everyone played and getting to know everyone's habits.” 

Story by Grayson Pitts

Edited by Elliott Stockdale