With the 2017 recruiting class already in the books, coaches across the country are already deeply entrenched in finding talent for the 2018 cycle.

Though coaches have had their eyes on some of these players since middle school, it’s still a bit early for firm commitments. Even so, the SEC has already managed to land six prospects of the 247Sports Composite top-100 prospects.

The Blue chip so far in the class is five-star OT Cade Mays, who is committed to Tennessee. It’s easy to figure out how Butch Jones and the Vols were able to lock him up early, as he’s from Knoxville and considers UT “home“. Mays is rated as the 13th overall player and the third-best OT in the class.

LSU has shown no plans of slowing down its claim of DBU under Ed Orgeron, as they landed the best crop of defensive backs in 2017, and the Tigers have two future members of the secondary already locked down in 2018. In-state CB Kelvin Joseph is the Tigers’ highest-rated recruit in the class, where he sits at No. 35 overall and No. 5 at his position. They also add safety Caden Sterns, who is the fourth-rated safety.

Thus far, LSU has the strongest class in the SEC, ranked fourth overall by 247 Composite. They already have six four-star prospects, five whom play on the defensive side of the ball.

So far, the usually-dominant Alabama Crimson Tide have been rather silent (so far) in 2018. The Tide rank 17th nationally, reeling in only two four-star prospects so far. Their highest rated player at this point is No. 80-overall WR Xavier Williams, who is 14th at his position. But we all know Nick Saban and company are going to heat up as things get closer to National Signing Day.

Right behind the Tide at 18th class nationally is Auburn. The Plainsmen have a commitment from Joey Gatewood, the 91st-ranked player and the highest-rated athlete in the nation.

Georgia rounds out the list with the 100th overall player Adam Anderson. Anderson, from Rome, Georgia, is the third-rated OLB and looks to build on the Dawgs strong defensive identity going forward.

Interestingly, the No. 2 rated player in the entire class — five-star DE Xavier Thomas — is down to Clemson and South Carolina, and the Gamecocks have a really legitimate shot to land his commitment.