Until a couple of weeks ago, most of us had never heard of Kate Upton, but now it’s clear that the blonde beauty is bound for stardom! Kate’s barely-clad appearance in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has made her the most-talked about new model of the year.

Kate’s just 18, and has been modeling for three years, but only recently began landing jobs with major names like Beach Bunny Swimwear and Guess. A giant billboard of Kate looking very alluring in Guess spring apparel is currently looming over L.A.’s trendy Melrose Ave., no doubt causing a few traffic accidents!

While SI tends to choose models that have already done several Swimsuit Issues for their coveted cover, I won’t be the least bit surprised to see Kate win the honor in 2012! See more of Kate after the jump, and go to SI.com to see all of her swimsuit photos.