On the eve of the heart of bowl season, let's take the time to check out the best players to grace the SEC this year.

Spoiler alert: Get ready for a lot of Alabama and LSU.

1. Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama: The Heisman voters got it wrong, but we didn't. Allen was the best player in the SEC, leading the country's best defense with 8.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, a blocked kick and two fumble recoveries he turned into touchdowns. -- Alex Scarborough

2. Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee: The best player on Tennessee’s roster, Barnett had an All-America-type season with an SEC-high 12 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. The junior is tied with Reggie White as Tennessee's all-time sacks leader with 32, which is also second among active FBS players. -- Edward Aschoff

3. Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt: One of the nation’s most athletic players, regardless of position, Cunningham registered an SEC-high 119 tackles, including 68 solo and 16.5 tackles for loss. But what he’s best-known for was his amazing hurdle over Auburn’s offensive line to block a field goal late in the season. -- Aschoff

4. Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama: Foster could have declared early for the draft but returned for his senior season, leading the Alabama defense at middle linebacker. He did a great job, pacing a unit that ranked in the top three of almost every important statistical category. Individually, Foster won the Butkus Award and led the team with 94 tackles. -- Scarborough

5. Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M: Garrett's 2016 wasn't as big as some hoped because of an ankle injury in late September that limited him for six games and caused him to miss two others. Still, he finished fourth in the SEC in tackles for loss (15) and sixth in sacks (8.5), and when healthy, he was the terror everyone expected. -- Sam Khan

6. Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama: Was he perfect? No. But with more than 30 total touchdowns, Hurts turned in one of the most impressive freshman performances we've seen in the SEC in quite some time. What's scary to think about is how much better he'll be with a year under his belt. -- Scarborough

7. Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama: He was a starter at cornerback on the best defense in the SEC and turned in a pick-six against Arkansas. Then Eddie Jackson went down and Fitzpatrick had to start at safety, where he had another pick-six against Auburn. All told, the true sophomore had five interceptions. -- Scarborough

8. Arden Key, LB/DE, LSU: After a dynamic sophomore season in which he has notched 10 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 10 games, Key will probably enter the 2017 season as the SEC’s pre-eminent pass-rusher and one of the top players to watch for the 2018 draft. -- David Ching

9. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida: He might have had a quiet year statistically, but Tabor was one of the nation’s best cover corners in 2016. QBs didn’t throw his way a ton, but he recorded four interceptions with nine passes defended and was one of Florida’s best open-field tacklers in the back end. -- Aschoff

Jonathan Allen had 8.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hurries in a leading role on the Alabama defense. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

10. Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss: Somehow, Engram wasn’t a finalist for the John Mackey Award, but he led all SEC tight ends in receptions (65), yards (926) and touchdowns (8). Engram also finished his Ole Miss career as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (162) and yards (2,320) by a tight end. -- Aschoff

11. Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama: There's no apples-to-apples comparison when it comes to the production of a lineman versus that of a quarterback. But in terms of consistency, you could make the argument that Williams was Alabama's best true freshman. The former four-star recruit actually graded out higher than star junior LTCam Robinson, according to Pro Football Focus. -- Scarborough

12. Jamal Adams, S, LSU: The ability to do a bit of everything -- play coverage, defend the run, deliver a big hit -- helped Adams make five different All-America teams. It also made him Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded safety in the nation and a surefire first-round pick if he enters the draft. -- Ching

13. Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama: A so-so start may have skewed his overall numbers, but in the second half of the season Robinson was dominant. Whether it was against Texas A&M's Garrett, LSU's Key or Auburn's Carl Lawson, Robinson stonewalled the SEC's top pass-rushers and proved why he's a likely first-round pick. -- Scarborough

14. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU: He backed up Leonard Fournette for a good portion of the season and still rushed for 1,249 yards, 8 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns. It helps when you post two 250-yard games in a span of 13 days, which Guice pulled off against Arkansas and Texas A&M. -- Ching

15. Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M: Kirk quietly led the SEC in receptions (77) and punt return yardage (270) and the nation in punt return touchdowns (three). He was fourth in the SEC in all-purpose yardage (1,315) and was the only receiver in the top 14 (the rest were running backs and a quarterback). -- Khan

16. Tim Williams, LB, Alabama: Allen and Foster might be the two most productive players on Alabama's defense, but Williams is the most dangerous. When he's in a pass-rushing situation, quarterbacks better know he's coming. The senior tied for the team lead with 8.5 sacks and pressured the quarterback as much or more than any pure edge rusher in the SEC. -- Scarborough

17. Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU: One of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, White was arguably the SEC’s top cover corner as a senior. He gave up next to nothing through the air, picked off two passes and scored touchdowns off a pick-six and a punt return. -- Ching

18. Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU: A preseason ankle injury prevented Fournette from matching his unbelievable sophomore year, but he produced some highlight-reel moments in his final college season. Fournette rushed for 843 yards -- 284 of which came on just 16 carries in one unforgettable performance against Ole Miss. -- Ching

19. Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn: With so many elite pass-rushers in the SEC, Lawson might have gotten overshadowed a bit. But finally healthy for 12 games, the junior led Auburn with 12.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and a ridiculous 24 quarterback hurries. -- Greg Ostendorf

LSU's Arden Key recorded 10 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. Scott Halleran/Getty Images

20. Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida: Despite playing in just nine games because of an ankle injury, Davis finished second on Florida’s defense with 60 tackles. The rangy defender had six tackles for loss with two sacks and also broke up four passes and was credited with five quarterback hurries. -- Aschoff

21. Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss: Kelly was averaging 306.4 passing yards per game, with 19 touchdowns versus eight interceptions, before he tore his ACL on Nov. 5. Even though he missed the last three games of the season, his 2,758 yards rank third among SEC passers. -- Aschoff

22. Rawleigh Williams, RB, Arkansas: The sophomore led the SEC in rushing with 1,326 yards. His breakout season also saw him score 12 touchdowns and average 110.5 rushing yards per game, the second-best average in the league. -- Aschoff

23. Kamryn Pettway, RB, Auburn: In just eight games, Pettway rushed for 1,123 yards and seven touchdowns. He had more yards per game (140.4) than Guice, Fournette and every other running back in the SEC. Not bad for a guy who didn’t receive a single carry a year ago. -- Ostendorf

24. Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida: He might not have had eye-popping stats, but Brantley was one of the league’s most disruptive defensive linemen. He had 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, and the projected first-round talent pushed handfuls of plays to teammates with his ability to move through opposing offensive lines. -- Aschoff

25. Ralph Webb, RB, Vanderbilt: He gained 1,172 yards this season and became Vandy’s all-time leading rusher (3,231 yards). Webb hit at least 95 yards eight times and ran for 12 touchdowns. -- Aschoff