Tyrell Robinson appears to be on the fast track to stardom in the Oregon football program.

The true freshman received some high praise from longtime defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, who said Robinson can be a “great inside linebacker” after he helped fill in when leading tackler Derrick Malone left the Utah game with a shoulder injury.

“He’s so sudden, he’s so athletic,” Aliotti said. “If he knew what we were doing right now, he could probably start. … I can’t teach a guy to be cat-like from sideline to sideline. You can work on it, but I can’t teach that. I can’t teach a guy to be 6-4 and run like a deer.

“We’ve got to teach him the X’s and O’s, but that man has the athleticism that one of these days he’s going to be really special.”

Even more exciting for the future of the Ducks’ defense: Tyree Robinson, from the very beginning, has been a little faster than Tyrell.

Tyree beat his fraternal twin into the world by a minute or two. And the brothers have been highly competitive since day one.

“The one-on-one basketball games were crazy. Some of them turned into fights,” Tyrell said of the childhood battles with Tyree in the driveway. “Just very competitive. Sometimes we’d go out there in the morning and we wouldn’t leave until nighttime.”

In the seventh grade, Tyrell moved from the boys’ childhood home in San Diego to live with their father in Sacramento. The year spent apart made them even closer.

“It was an experience for me to be away from my brother,” Tyrell said. “When we were young we kind of lived in each other’s shadows. When I went to go live with my dad it kind of made me and my brother independent people. But it was better for us because I came back focused, he was focused also and we just took that and ran with it.”

The Robinsons were two-sport stars at San Diego’s Lincoln High, a school that has produced Marcus Allen, Terrell Davis and former Oregon quarterback Akili Smith.

Tyree and Tyrell would also like to play in the NFL, but they haven’t given up on their hoop dreams.

When Oregon’s football season ends, the Robinsons said Mark Helfrich and Dana Altman have given them their blessing to join the basketball team. Defensive end Arik Armstead also will be spending the winter with the Ducks in Matthew Knight Arena.

“I think we’ll bring a lot of intensity, a lot of defense to the team,” Tyrell said. “Full-court defense is me and my brother’s main thing. We can lock it up and guard the other team’s best player.”

Tyree projects as a 6-foot-4, 200-pound combo guard. Tyrell as a 6-4, 217-pound big guard/small forward.

The chance to play together, on the gridiron and the hardwood, was important to the twins during the recruiting process. After Chip Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Ducks had to hold off USC and Washington for the dynamic Robinson duo.

When Helfrich retained Oregon’s veteran staff, including linebackers coach Don Pellum and secondary coach John Neal, the brothers decided to stay on their Oregon trail.

“I couldn’t split with my brother,” Tyree said. “Just growing up, we always competed to make sure we were better in everything. Even to this day we compete in everything we do, whether it’s in the classroom or on the football field and hopefully this year on the basketball court, too.”

Tyrell saw his first action on the kickoff team in the opener against Nicholls and played his first snaps on defense during the fourth quarter at Virginia. Last Saturday he was on the field with an important November game still in doubt as the Ducks pulled away from the Utes during the second half for a 44-21 victory at Autzen Stadium.

“I think he’s blessed with an excellent skill set,” Pellum said. “He’s extremely explosive, he’s extremely athletic. He’s got good size and he hasn’t even been through winter conditioning with us yet. All freshmen are trying to learn what they’re doing on the run. He’s not shying away from any physical contact. He’s putting his face in things and doing everything he’s supposed to do. It’s just a steep learning curve.”

Tyree is redshirting and serving as a defensive back on the scout team. Aliotti said it was a difficult decision because having both Robinsons gain some game experience would have benefited the 2014 Ducks when the defense loses senior safeties Brian Jackson and Avery Patterson.

“I think I’ve responded real well just knowing what I have to do with my assignments,” Tyree said. “I think that’s what they like about me; I’m a hard worker and I’m just trying to get better every single day. Every freshman’s dream is to come in and play right away. I had no problem about (redshirting). It’s not because I don’t know how to play football or anything. It was just a better situation for me.”

Tyree and Tyrell were both outstanding wide receivers in high school. They’re content learning the nuances of Aliotti’s defense, but should offensive coordinator Scott Frost or receivers coach Matt Lubick ever need an extra pair of hands, the Robinsons will be the first to volunteer.

“If the offense needs me, I can come in and make a play,” Tyrell said. “I think our main focus right now is defense.”

Torrodney Prevot, another true freshman linebacker with a role on the defense this season, believes that his classmates will have memorable careers at Oregon.

“Me and Tyrell, we’ve been going through this whole thing together, we’re learning the defense together. I see greatness in Tyrell,” Prevot said. “Tyree is very agile. I think he might be able to go both ways next year.”

It could be awhile before the Robinsons are available for Altman. The Ducks can still win the Pac-12 and play in the Rose Bowl.

And if the twins do get to enjoy some March madness, it will be followed in short order by some important spring football practices.

“In the long run, they are both really talented kids,” Aliotti said. “They’re going to have great careers here. Next spring is going to be huge for those two guys.”