Dennis Norfleet Commits to Michigan, Gives Wolverines Star RB They Needed

Despite a class ranked fourth by scout.com, Brady Hoke has failed to land a big-time running back to his class until now.

After missing out on recent recruits like Armani Reeves and Alex Kozan, Hoke was able to pick himself up and nab a recruit out of the clutches of Cincinnati. According to Scout.com, Dennis Norfleet of Detroit, Michigan has committed to the Wolverines.

Norfleet was recently committed to Cincinnati, but backed out of his verbal promise on Tuesday after receiving an offer from the Wolverines.

It almost seems as though Cincinnati was always Norfleet's plan B, considering how quick he jumped on the opportunity to become a Wolverine.

The newest Michigan commitment lives just a short 30 minutes out of Ann Arbor, Michigan and has always been a Michigan man. Norfleet even said the late scholarship offer from UM was "A decision I had been waiting on."

According to scout.com, Norfleet is a 4-Star prospect and the 19th-best running back in the nation and according to Rivals, he's the fifth-rated running back in the 2012 class.

On the field, the blue-chipper is an elusive and speedy back with superb acceleration. He does an excellent job of making open field tacklers miss and has the hands and versatility to line up in the slot.

At 5' 7" and 165 lbs, he's a smaller back but don't let his size fool you. Norfleet also lined up at cornerback for his high school and welcomed contact at every turn. Not to mention, the young man has a formidable build and a mean streak that won't back down to anybody on the gridiron.

The product out of Detroit, Michigan has the potential and versatility to make a major impact on the field next year for Hoke's squad. The Wolverines may use him as their go-to receiver out of the backfield or even line him up in the slot to add a change of pace to the offense.

Don't be surprised if you also see Norfleet back receiving kicks for the Wolverines, considering the success he experienced in high school as a return man. 

Bottom line, Hoke and his staff are getting a leader and a playmaker who has the potential to sway games with his talents.

Hoke is also sending a message to teams of the Midwest that the state of Michigan belongs to the Wolverines.

Including Norfleet, Hoke has added nine Michigan natives to his class and is working to put a recruiting fence around his home state.

This will be vital to Hoke's success at Michigan because it is one thing to miss out on prospects out of Ohio or other Midwest states, but the young head coach absolutely can't let the best players in his own state join other Big Ten teams.

Clearly Hoke understands this, considering how he has recruited the state of Michigan this year and this year's class will set the tone for years to come.

With Norfleet's commitment, the Wolverines now have 25 commitments in the 2012 class. Despite a very full class, before Norfleet's commitment, the Wolverines were only expecting to draw in one running back in 3-Star Drake Johnson, so the importance of Norfleet's commitment can't be underestimated.

With the pick up of Norfleet, Hoke adds some depth to the running back position, some electricity to the return game and some momentum going into national signing day.