Winners and Losers of the Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is an excellent chance for college football's best to showcase their talents just three months before the upcoming NFL draft. No different from any other year, the 2013 Senior Bowl featured plenty of winners and losers.

While some players improved their draft stock, many saw the opposite occur. There is still plenty of opportunity in the coming months, particularly with the scouting combine, but the week of practice leading up to the Senior Bowl and the game itself are the first indicators.

The game was relatively close, but the South led from start to finish en route to a 21-16 victory.

Here are the winners and losers from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Winner: Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

The defensive lines of both teams were pretty dominant in this one, but perhaps, the most outstanding performer on the field was defensive end Ezekiel Ansah out of BYU.

He dominated the line of scrimmage for the South on his way to seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks along with a forced fumble.

Ansah has NFL size at 6'6" and 270 pounds. He will be able to rush the passer at the next level and proved that by dominating the Senior Bowl.

Loser: Landry Jones, Oklahoma

There is little question as to who the had the most disappointing day. That honor goes to former Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones.

Jones looked a little rattled in the pocket throughout his time in the game and only finished the day 3-of-9 for 16 yards.

The quarterbacks did not look particularly good, especially on the North squad, but Jones was downright awful for the South, struggling all game long.

Winner: Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

A few of the running backs put together solid games, but the man who stood out was Johnathan Franklin of UCLA.

He carried the ball only five times for 41 yards, but had a 20-yard touchdown scamper to get the North on the board in the second quarter.

No other running back in the game averaged more than 5.9 yards a carry. Franklin posted an average of 8.2 yards on his five carries.

Loser: Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas

Cobi Hamilton had quite a senior season at Arkansas, despite the fact that the team struggled mightily.

He caught 90 balls for 1,335 yards and five touchdowns. His year was up and down, and the final game of his collegiate career proved to be one of his least productive.

The receiver only caught one pass for three yards on the day.

While there are plenty of receivers to spread the ball around to, and the South only attempted 30 passes, Hamilton only managed to catch one of those.

Winner: Robert Alford, Southeastern Louisiana

Southeastern Louisiana defensive back Robert Alford might have had the most complete day of any player in the game.

He took the opening kickoff 88 yards to set up a touchdown for the South on its first drive.

While that was the biggest single play of the game, he also came up with an interception later on the help the South secure the victory.

It was not a bad day for a kid from a school most people have never heard of.

Loser: Mike James, Miami

Despite the fact that he had a four-yard touchdown run to give the South a 21-10 lead toward the end of the fourth quarter, it was not the best of days for Miami running back Mike James.

James finished the day with only 10 yards on six carries with a long of five. He looked much worse than fellow South running backs Stepfan Taylor and Mike Gillislee running the ball.

He did manage three catches out of the backfield for 11 yards.

Still, it was not much to speak of statistically for James.

Winner: EJ Manuel, Florida State

Even though it was not the best of games for E.J. Manuel, he played better than any quarterback in the Senior Bowl and also produced two touchdowns.

The former Florida State standout finished the day 7-of-10 passing for 76 yards with a touchdown and an interception. 

The touchdown was a 20-yard pass to former Alabama tight end Michael Williams.

Manuel also proved his worth with his feet scoring on the opening drive of the game with a two-yard run. He finished the day with 10 yards rushing on four carries.

Loser: Terrance Williams, Baylor

With the exception of Marqise Lee out of USC, Terrance Williams from Baylor was the best receiver in college football during the 2012 season.

He did not perform like that in the Senior Bowl.

Williams only caught one pass for nine yards and also carried the ball twice for eight yards. He was not even the best Williams on his team.

That honor went to Alabama tight end Michael Williams who caught two passes for 39 yards and a score.

Winner: Kawann Short, Purdue

Former Purdue defensive tackle Kawann Short is an absolute space-eater, and he proved just how valuable he will be in the NFL with the performance he put on in Mobile.

The big man dominated the line of scrimmage and finished the game with three tackles, including one for a loss.

That does not begin to tell the full story, as Short wreaked havoc all game long, and was named the the top player on the North squad.

Loser: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

For a guy who was supposedly vaulting up draft boards, it definitely did not look that way for former Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib in the Senior Bowl.

He finished the day only 4-of-10 for 44 yards with an interception and a fumble.

It was not a good day for a kid who has a world of potential.

The quarterback play in this one further proved that the draft class this year is leaps and bounds behind the 2012 class.

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