Every year, SEC schools have marquee members of their recruiting classes. Sometimes it might not be the highest ranked overall player, but rather the guy that is constantly rallying the class to help bring in other talent. The class “alpha” is also usually a fan favorite. The players' ability to beat the drum for their school essentially makes them an extension of the coaching staff. In this week’s breakdown, we take a look at the current star of each SEC school’s class.

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What makes him special: Jones hasn’t been in the Tide’s class for long, but he quickly has worked his way to top dog status. Prospects from the Southeast have known Jones for years and those relationships are already starting to pay dividends behind the scenes for Alabama recruiting. By the time big visits roll around in the fall, Jones will be working hard to help add talent to the class.

What makes him special: Fans tend to gravitate toward an in-state player that commits to their favorite school without hesitation. This is the case with Arkansas and Barnes. The Razorbacks were first to offer the three-star athlete, and Barnes decided to take the program up on its offer without waiting to see if his options expanded. Barnes excels in track as well as football and is making quite a name for himself in the state. Choosing the in-state program is a way to extend his already-forming legacy.

What makes him special: The three-star linebacker has been committed to the Tigers for nearly two months and in that time he’s been integral in the recruitment of several other highly ranked targets. Wooten is also a fan favorite for the Tiger faithful and openly shares his love for the school on social media.

What makes him special: Allen is as solidly committed to Florida as any prospect is to any school. He is not taking other visits and is serving as the Gators’ lead recruiter in some instances. Allen’s close relationship with five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes gives UF hope to land the sought-after prospect. Allen's enthusiasm for all things UF has quickly endeared him to the fan base.

What makes him special: LeCounte is one of the most outgoing prospects in the 2017 class and seems to be loved by pretty much every other recruit he meets. His jovial personality also spills over to social media, where he seems to be openly recruiting many of the nation’s top talents to join him in Athens.

What makes him special: Unfortunately for Kentucky fans, Jones was this guy until his flip to Alabama, but Wood has been committed for longer and has been a fixture in Lexington over the past year. With Jones out of the picture, the dual-threat quarterback now stands at the top of mountain when it comes to representing Big Blue Nation.

What makes him special: The massive defensive tackle has been committed to the Tigers for more than a year and while he’s not as outgoing publicly as some of the other players on this list, the signal his commitment sends to the other top recruits is big. Shelvin has been helping the school’s coaches recruit and will continue to do so heading into the fall.

What makes him special: Thompson committed to Mississippi State in December, and the get was celebrated from the jump. Reaching into Louisiana for a Rivals250 quarterback is no easy task for the Bulldogs. Thompson has received a handful of offers since making his announcement but hasn’t given other schools much thought. Thompson is being looked at as the future of the quarterback position at the school and has gotten involved when it comes to recruiting other prospects to Starkville.

What makes him special: The fact that Davis has been committed to Missouri since November of last year certainly curries him some favor. Add in the fact that he’s an in-state four-star prospect, and it’s easy to see why Tiger fans have already taken a shine to the Kansas City product. Davis is the undisputed foundation of an MU class that lacks in number of commits for the time being.

What makes him special: The fact that Bowie chose Ole Miss over Alabama quickly won over Rebel fans, but the way that he’s stayed committed through turbulent recent times has made him even more popular. Bowie’s raw athleticism makes him exciting, and the fact that he’s an in-state prospect certainly doesn’t hurt his stock in the eyes of fans. In many ways, Bowie is the cornerstone of Ole Miss’ 2017 class.

What makes him special: Urich has only been committed to South Carolina for a month, but the best is likely still to come from him when it comes to helping the Gamecocks recruit. He’s well-liked by other recruits, including several of the top uncommitted Gamecocks targets.

What makes him special: Gray’s commitment kicked off a huge month of June for the Volunteers and now he’s using his unique personality to help sell the school to other top players. Much like LeCounte, Gray is loved by other recruits, especially in his home state and he will be a big asset as recruiting heats up heading into the fall.

What makes him special: Tucker is all Texas A&M. A simple look at his aggressive Twitter header reveals that. He has the Rivals250 ranking to go along with his school spirit, too. The combination has made him a fan favorite and the fact that he is almost constantly interacting with Aggie fans online has built a sort of cult of personality. Tucker is the emotional cornerstone of the class.

What makes him special: This list is filled with quarterbacks, so it’s not a surprise to see Free make the cut as well. The Commodores are on a roll in recruiting and the commitment of Free played a big part in getting things started. The talented quarterback has already been beating the drum for the school and should be a fixture on campus on Saturdays this fall.