Ex-Wolverines: Class of 2006

Justin Boren (image via MVictors)

In an attempt to whittle down the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia at the top of the page, I’m going to split up the 8,000 words there into several individual posts. The Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia will still remain at the top of the page, but it will be limited to active collegians and then have links to each of these posts of older players or classes that have matriculated out of football.

Justin Boren – Offensive guard – Pickerington (OH) North
Boren was the son of ex-Michigan linebacker Mike Boren.  He was born and bred to be a Wolverine.  Freshman offensive linemen are almost guaranteed to redshirt, but he played as a freshman, even starting when guard Rueben Riley was injured.  Boren was a solid starter for Michigan in 2007.  But when Lloyd Carr departed after the 2007 season and Rich Rodriguez was hired, Justin and his family butted heads with the new regime.  Some stories have suggested that Boren couldn’t handle the physical requirements of the new strength and conditioning staff.  The story I believe to be true is that Lloyd Carr had promised to offer the Borens’ younger son, Zach, a scholarship.  However, Zach was a fullback and Rich Rodriguez doesn’t offer scholarships to fullbacks – he fills that position from walk-ons.  That perturbed the Borens enough to send Justin to Ohio State, the school that Zach would also attend.  Justin sat out the 2008 season and started at left guard for OSU in 2009.  Boren was named All-Big Ten in 2010 for Ohio State. He went undrafted in 2011, but spent time on the practice squads of the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and Denver Broncos.
Current status: Out of football

Hit the jump for the rest of the players who left Michigan from the class of 2006.

Jason Kates – Defensive tackle – Harrisburg (PA) Bishop McDevitt
Kates was an oversized 4-star prospect coming out of high school at 6’2″ and 324 lbs.  He redshirted in 2006, presumably to get into shape and add some muscle.  However, as far as I can tell, he never played a down for Michigan in 2007 or 2008.  By the end of 2008, it was announced that Kates had left the team.  From what I can glean, he remained at the University of Michigan to continue his studies but gave up on his football career.
Current status: Out of football

Cobrani Mixon – Linebacker – Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
Mixon was a 4-star inside linebacker who reportedly got tired of riding the bench early in his career.  After redshirting as a freshman in 2006, he transferred to Kent State University and sat out the 2007 season due to transfer rules.  He had 73 tackles and 2 sacks in 2008 as a redshirt sophomore.  By 2009 he was an All-MAC linebacker, racking up 108 tackles and 3 sacks.  As a senior in 2010, Mixon made 82 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception; he was also named a team captain and was named First Team All-MAC at linebacker. He went undrafted in 2011 and spent some time on the Detroit Lions practice squad, but he never made an active roster.
Current status: Out of football

Quintin Patilla – Linebacker – Flint (MI) Carman Ainsworth
Patilla was a 3-star linebacker prospect who moved to fullback at Michigan.  After redshirting as a freshman in 2006, he played sparingly as a fullback and on special teams in 2007.  Patilla transferred to Grand Valley State University prior to his redshirt sophomore season and did not play that year.  When he got to GVSU, he played defensive end at 6’3″, 255 lbs.  However, I cannot find any stats for his 2009 season and he was not on GVSU’s 2010 football roster.
Current status: Out of football

Quintin Woods – Defensive end – Flint (MI) Southwestern
Woods was a 3-star defensive end who failed to qualify for admission to Michigan.  His original goal was to attend a junior college and work his way back to Michigan, but that opportunity never materialized (JUCO credits are notoriously difficult to transfer to Michigan).  Woods played two seasons of football at Bakersfield Community College in California, tallying 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks as a sophomore.  He then transferred to Kansas, where he made 4 tackles as a redshirt junior in 2009.  As a senior in 2010, Woods had 13 tackles. He went undrafted in 2011 and did not make it to the NFL.
Current status: Out of football

Bryan Wright – Kicker – Salem (OH) Salem
Wright chose Michigan over Bowling Green State University (among others).  He redshirted in 2006, then played three seasons for Michigan (2007-2009).  Having suffered a back injury that limited his availability, he and Michigan’s coaches chose to part ways after the 2009 season.  Because Wright already graduated, he was allowed to transfer without sitting out a season. He spent 2010 at Bowling Green State University, where he punted 67 times for 2,713 yards (40.5 yards/punt), made 17/19 extra points, and was 4/9 on field goals. He went undrafted in the 2011 draft.
Current status: Out of football

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