Michigan Football: How Dennis Norfleet's Dismissal Impacts the Wolverines

UPDATE (May, 13, 2015)

New reports indicate that Dennis Norfleet has been suspended by Michigan, not "dismissed" as Detroit MLK coach Dale Harvel initially told MLive's Nick Baumgardner:

"

New reports say Michigan WR/KR Dennis "Atomic Dog" Norfleet is only suspended, not dismissed http://t.co/U3qntBib33

— CBS Sports CFB (@CBSSportsCFB) May 13, 2015"

Suspensions such as Norfleet's typically end with reinstatement at some point, or down the road, a drawn-out dismissal process. This post will be updated as soon as new details are reported. 

_Original Text_

The surprising dismissal of Michigan Wolverines senior Dennis Norfleet on Tuesday sent shockwaves through social media, pelted messageboards with speculation and ignited talk radio’s finest.

"Evidently he was dismissed from the team, Dennis informed us he was no longer on the team," said Norfleet’s high school coach, Dale Harvel, according to Nick Baumgardner of MLive. "Something about a disciplinary thing between him and coach Harbaugh. Whether it was academics or something internal, I'm not sure. He just said they had a disagreement and he was let go."

While untimely for a team searching for production, the loss of the senior return man/athlete/receiver probably won’t put a major dent in Michigan’s offensive plans for 2015, if any.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Though “excited” about Norfleet’s possibilities for the upcoming season, first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh has repeatedly referenced power football as his weapon of choice, vowing to restore the familiar brand that has led to hundreds of victories for the Wolverines.

The days of the small, shifty mini-mites in Ann Arbor have run their course.

But it wasn’t supposed to be that way for Norfleet, a 5’7”, 168-pound stick of dynamite out of Detroit Martin Luther King.

According to 247Sports, he was the No. 7-ranked all-purpose back of the 2012 class, suggesting he would go on to have a successful career with the Wolverines, who, at the time, were burning opposing defenses with speedsters such as quarterback Denard Robinson and receiver Jeremy Gallon.

Norfleet was supposed to be one of those guys—someone who could make a crowd stand still in silence until he took off with rocket-like velocity.

Oddly enough, he never returned a kick for a touchdown during his time at Michigan. He came close, though, missing a few opportunities by a block or less; he leaves the team with 90 kick returns (the most in program history) and 2,293 return yards, the third-most on record. He’s one of three Wolverines with at least 2,000 career return yards. As a junior, he caught 11 passes for 115 yards.

Replacing Norfleet, who primarily handled return duties and projected to be a second- or third-string receiver, shouldn’t be too much to handle for Michigan, which has true freshman Brian Cole, a former 4-star recruit, and Freddy Canteen, a sophomore, steadily climbing the ranks.

In 2014, Canteen was the name of the spring game. In 2015, Cole, a former Saginaw Heritage star, gained some attention for his practice habits and overall athleticism. Each of them stands to fill Norfleet’s role.

At 6’1” and 185 pounds, Canteen has a recognizable size advantage over Norfleet—plus he has comparable speed and arguably better hands. Bobbled returns became an issue during Norfleet’s final two seasons.

As a true frosh this past fall, Canteen, a former 4-star recruit, appeared in 11 games with three starts. He finished 2014 with five catches for 22 yards. The minimal, almost nonexistent production was hardly expected from a guy who lit up spring; however, “Freddy Footwork” is on the ascent and qualifies as a top candidate to absorb Norfleet’s reps.

He’s actually pushing for a No. 1 job, so he wouldn’t be a literal replacement for Norfleet. In a sense, he’d be a plus-version of Norfleet. 

At 6’2” and 200 pounds, Cole is another versatile athlete—probably just as versatile as Norfleet, only seven inches taller and 32 pounds heavier. While in high school, Cole ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, earning recognition as one of the country’s elite prep talents.

Expectations for Cole are justifiably high. Due to having played in the spring game, Cole, the No. 5-ranked athlete of 2015, absolutely has an edge heading into camp—not to mention a wide-open window to playing time.

Due to Norfleet’s dismissal, it’d be easy to tab Jabrill Peppers as the No. 1 return man. But don’t rule out Cole and Canteen as fill-ins for Michigan’s kind of the “Atomic Dog.” Dancing prior to kicks probably won't be required, but doing so probably wouldn't hurt the next guy's chances.

Unlikely but not impossible, the vacancy could be plugged with Keith Washington, a superbly athletic do-all from Prattville, Alabama. The former 3-star recruit has now become somewhat famous for showing off his 4.3 speed during a visit with Harbaugh. 

Pencil him in as a contender. 

With Norfleet, there were possibilities but few results. Other than eclipsing 2,000 return yards, he wasn't much of a factor within the offensive scheme.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, press release or other media availability. All recruiting information comes via 247Sports.