Michigan Football: Jordan Kovacs Among 7 Players Who Will Step Up This Season

Obviously, Jordan Kovacs stepped up in a big way on Saturday and made his presence felt.  He and Brandon Herron were the two most impressive players on defense.

Michigan will need better contributions from other players throughout the season, though, and here's a look at a few other players who will step up and have a big year.

7. Jake Ryan (Linebacker)

Even though he's only a redshirt freshman, Jake Ryan actually played quite a bit on Saturday.

Ryan looked pretty impressive, as he was actually the one who tipped the ball that Brandon Herron intercepted and eventually returned for a touchdown.

There is a good chance that Jake Ryan won't start throughout the year, but that doesn't mean he won't see the field. 

He should see plenty of playing time throughout the season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him impact other games the same way he did on Saturday.

6. Kenny Demens (Linebacker)

Coming into the year, most people realized that Kenny Demens was easily Michigan's best linebacker.  However, he had a very quiet day on Saturday.  That doesn't mean that he won't bounce back and have a solid year, though.

Perhaps his most memorable play on Saturday was when he blitzed and had a clear shot at Alex Carder and simply missed him.

This is a very correctable mistake, though, as film study and extra preparation with Greg Mattison will help fix any problems that he may have.

Expect Demens to have a very solid year, and affirm himself as Michigan's best linebacker.

5. Troy Woolfolk (Cornerback)

It is extremely hard to judge Woolfolk's performance on Saturday, as he was injured early in the 1st quarter and missed the rest of the game.

He will be ready for Notre Dame though, and should have a significant impact.  He is Michigan's best corner, and simply has to play well this year if the secondary is going to be respectable.

We'll see if Woolfolk deserved the hype that surrounded him in practice, as he will be going up against receivers such as Michael Floyd, Theo Riddick and TJ Jones on Saturday night.

Expect Woolfolk to have a solid year, but not necessarily be a lockdown corner that shuts down the elite receivers.

4. Fitz Toussaint (Running Back)

In somewhat of a surprising move, Fitz Toussaint got the start at running back for Michigan on Saturday.  It's safe to say that he answered the call.

He rushed for 80 yards, teaming up with Michael Shaw to give Michigan a dangerous duo at running back.  Once Stephen Hopkins returns, it will only make this Michigan backfield even more dangerous.

The fact that Denard Robinson was the third leading rusher on Saturday says a lot about the job that Michigan's running backs did.

It looks like Toussaint will get the majority of the carries this year, and he should do just fine in that role.

3. Kevin Koger (Tight End)

It was obvious that the coaches meant what they said when they let everyone know that Kevin Koger's role would expand in this offense.

He played most of the game and made his presence felt at one point with an extremely tough catch over the middle.

Koger could actually play a huge role in this offense this year.  With Michigan being a little thin at receiver, look for Koger to potentially be one of the top pass catchers on the team this season.

2. Taylor Lewan (Left Tackle)

Taylor Lewan, only a sophomore, is already turning into the next great Michigan offensive lineman.

He has the responsibility of protecting Robinson's blind side, and so far has done a very good job in his short career.

It has been reported by numerous scouts that Lewan has the attitude of a snake.

Along with Patrick Omameh and David Molk, Lewan provides Michigan with three GREAT offensive linemen.

1. Jordan Kovacs (Safety)

As mentioned earlier, Kovacs made a huge impact on Saturday and looks like he will all season long.  Mattison used him perfectly, often playing him near the line and allowing him to blitz.

Because he struggled so much in pass coverage last year, it's obviously a smart thing to play him up close.

He has always been a solid tackler, and it showed on Saturday.

Kovacs isn't the fastest guy on the team, but doesn't need to be when he is used the way Mattison is going to use him this year.