ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It's finally time for football. After a loud offseason, Michigan will take the field Saturday and try to start backing up months of hype surrounding Jim Harbaugh and the surging program.
Realistically, it's not like the Wolverines can prove much against Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors aren't a strong team and -- even if Michigan covers the 40-point spread -- it'll be hard to draw conclusions in such an unevenly matched game.
READ: Ranking the Week 1 Big Ten football games
But Saturday is a chance for individual players to get their seasons off to a strong start. Michigan has plenty of unknown veterans and several true freshmen who have yet to prove themselves at the college level. Here are five Wolverines to keep an eye on in the season opener.
LB Mike McCray
Mike McCray will be vital to the Michigan defense for two reasons: All three of last year's starting linebackers graduated, and most of the viable replacement options are true freshmen.
McCray was expected to be a major contributor when he joined the Wolverines in 2012. He's a big linebacker who probably could have stuck his hand in the ground and played a Mario Ojemudia-type hybrid position.
But his career has been hampered by injury. After contributing as a backup his redshirt freshman season, he missed the entire 2015 campaign due to a shoulder injury. With seniors Desmond Morgan, Joe Bolden and James Ross penciled in to start, the news that McCray would be out didn't make huge waves.
Now, with three starting spots open, McCray is ready to step in. He's waited three years for this opportunity, and now it looks like he'll get it.
McCray is a talented player, but his weaknesses are similar to those that burned Michigan last season. He's a run blocker and a solid tackler, but he lacks high-end speed and might struggle to get to the outside. Michigan's linebackers got schooled in the short passing and outside rushing games late in the 2015 Big Ten season, so Harbaugh is hoping to improve the athleticism at the position. If McCray can improve in that aspect, it'll be a big boost for the defense.
DE Rashan Gary
The Michigan coaching staff has openly expressed its excitement for the depth of this year's freshman class, but everybody's eyes should be on Rashan Gary.
As the first No. 1 overall recruit to pick the Wolverines, Gary qualifies as one of the most highly anticipated freshmen in school history. The defensive lineman dominated in high school, recording 110 tackles, 27.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in his final two seasons. Against the nation's best recruits in the Under Armour All-American game, Gary won MVP honors with six tackles, three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
READ: Squashing Michigan football's 'easy schedule' myth
Gary looked like a man among boys in the UA game and should make an impact on a deep defensive line for the Wolverines. He joins good pass rushers like Chris Wormley and Taco Charlton and slides into the mix as another athletic lineman for opposing teams to worry about.
He's 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds, so Gary is physically ready to battle in the college trenches. Look for him to make some noise during a weak nonconference schedule.
WR Grant Perry
Regardless of starts at quarterback, Jehu Chesson, Amara Darboh and Jake Butt will be Michigan's top targets. But the battle for No. 3 receiver was wide open heading into fall camp.
During the spring game, with Chesson and Darboh on the sideline, Grant Perry looked like the No. 1 option. His chemistry with quarterback Wilton Speight was obvious as he caught three passes for 30 yards to lead the Maize team.
The coaching staff clearly liked Perry as a true freshman. He was a prominent part of the offense in his first college test -- catching three passes for 41 yards -- and played in all 13 games. He finished with only 14 catches on the year, but as a true freshman surrounded by bigger targets, he handled himself well.
VOTE: Will Michigan football go undefeated at home?
Perry has a chance to increase his role as a sophomore and force himself into the conversation for No. 1 receiver in 2017. With Darboh and Chesson set to graduate next spring, Perry is one of the few players who will return with multiple years of experience.
OL Ben Bredeson
To the casual fan, an offensive lineman might not stand out throughout the course of a game, but for Michigan, Ben Bredeson could be one of the most important players on the roster.
Size matters: How does Bredeson stack up next to the rest of the veteran offensive line?
Bredeson and Grant Newsome have battled throughout fall camp for the starting left tackle job after Mason Cole moved to center to fill the hole left by Graham Glasgow. If Bredeson wins the starting job, he'll be the second true freshman to start at left tackle for Michigan in three years.
Obviously, that's not an ideal situation.
Left tackle is the most important position on the offensive line, and it's an X-factor for a Michigan team that returns starters at the other four offensive line positions. Bredeson will go through growing pains as a true freshman, but if he can improve throughout a light early season schedule, he could give Michigan a lift during a difficult second half.
Other Michigan recruiting notes:
CB Jeremy Clark
Like the offensive line, Michigan returns a ton of experience in the secondary, including its top two safeties and top three cornerbacks.
All-American Jourdan Lewis sets the tone for the secondary and locks down the opposing No. 1 receiver nearly every game. That puts even more pressure on cornerbacks Channing Stribling and Jeremy Clark, who will see even more targets come their way.
Clark was boom or bust in coverage after switching over from safety last season, picking off three passes but suffering growing pains and getting burned for big gains on a few occasions. As the season progressed, Clark put himself in better position to make plays.
Rivalry watch: MSU trolls Michigan football with mocking tweet
The key for Clark early in 2016 will be capitalizing on his positioning. He could have built on his team-leading interception total last season but developed a tendency to turn his back to the ball. Plenty of passes will come Clark's way in 2016, so his ability to make plays on the ball will be huge for the defense.