Charlotte McKinney Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: Could 'Dancing With The Stars' Model Grace Cover of the Magazine in 2016 [PHOTOS]

We're barely coming up on two months since the release of this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit magazine and already some are impatiently looking ahead to the prospective 2016 edition.

Specifically, people are beginning to speculate about who might get the honor of gracing the publication's front cover. Getting the front slate is obviously a huge honor, and one that comes with a considerable amount of attention and controversy -- remember all the brouhaha Hannah Davis' cover attracted?

One early frontrunner for the gig is recently eliminated Dancing With The Stars contestant Charlotte McKinney. The 22-year-old has been outspoken about her desire to grace the famous swimsuit edition, and some are calling her fashion's next Kate Upton.

“Sports Illustrated is a big, iconic brand I’d like to work for, too," McKinney recently told Us Magazine. She's also dropped similar hints about the swimsuit issue in a recent Reddit AMA.

McKinney's got the star power, and she's certainly got the looks. Seeing her in the 2016 Sports Illustrated swimsuit magazine is almost as close to a lock at this point as it gets.