Two of a kind

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Good luck recruiting San Diego (Calif.) Lincoln athletes Tyree Robinson and his twin brother Tyrell Robinson. You’ll be battling a host of other football coaches and you’ll also be battling numerous other basketball coaches but if you get them on the field it will all be worth it.

Tyree Robinson could play wide receiver or safety in college.

That is still a big ‘if’ though. Tyrell and Tyree are both elite basketball recruits and have been on the national radar for years now on the hardwood. However over the last two years, football has steadily emerged as a perhaps the best sport for both of them.

Currently the who’s who of offerees on the football field includes UCLA, Washington, Oregon, San Diego State, Houston, New Mexico, USC, Arizona, Cal and for Tyree Notre Dame. Several of those schools have issued offers for both football and basketball. Washington, UCLA and San Diego State are included amongst those programs.

Both players are versatile prospects and have some a long way since they started out on the offensive line in 6th grade. Their head coach David Dunn was coaching them even back then.

“When I got them they were in the 6th grade,” said Coach Dunn. “They played left and right tackle for me. They were the two youngest players on the team and they both played defensive end. But they were the most tenacious blockers you will ever see. They were playing with eight graders so they were getting beat up by the eight graders but they were holding their own.”

That was the first year the Robinson twins played football but they’ve come a long way. The following year they moved to quarterback and wide receiver. They’ve been all over the place ever since.

Of the two, Tyrell is more likely to end up exclusively on the gridiron and at 6-4, he has a physical mindset and likely projects to outside linebacker. Tyree has played all over the field but on the next level, wide receiver or safety look to be his most likely destinations. Neither of the two have a basketball mentality once they hit the field.

“I like playing defense,” said Tyree. “Me and my brother are both physical players. Being physical is a big part of what we do.”

Tyrell takes it a step further.

Despite his skill on the basketball court, Tyrell Robinson has the most upside at linebacker.

“I just try to be a beast in football,” he said. “I like to take out my anger when I’m playing football. I just try to be fast. Football is easier than basketball. I’ve always been a wild and rough kid.”

Coach Dunn describes Tyrell as a hitter while he sees Tyree’s upside on the offensive side.

“Tyree is a combination of size and strength,” Dunn said. “He runs good routes, he has excellent jumping ability, soft hands. He has that big play capability.”

The twins hope to see some colleges this spring and summer, with plans of visiting Oregon and Oregon State as well as Washington. They hope to compete in the Nike Camp on Sunday in Los Angeles as well. All of that will be balanced with a busy AAU basketball schedule.

Whatever they do, they’ll be doing it together and they haven’t gotten it all figured out yet.

“Me and my brother have to really sit down and figure things out,” said Tyree. “We’re wide open and just trying to figure everything out.”

Lincoln is loaded

As good as the Robinson twins are, Lincoln High School will not be a two-man show in 2011. Coach Dunn has put together a loaded group and this spring Lincoln should be a high priority stop for college coaches.

“There’s a couple of other guys that are peaking right along with the twins,” Dunn said. “This year I’m heavy in seniors but they’ve all filled out.”

Some of the other names to watch:

- Fred Melafanwu, DE, 6-4.5, 215 pounds – Already Melafanwu is getting interest from UCLA, Cal and Oregon as a well-put together, athletic defender.

- Rufus Reynolds, LB, 6-1, 202 pounds – An active linebacker that had 78 tackles in 2011, Reynolds tests in the 4.5 range in the 40 yard dash and has garnered some attention from UCLA and San Diego State.

- Tajon Mondy, ATH, 5-11, 175 pounds – An athlete that could project on either side of the ball and has spent time at quarterback on the high school level, Mondy is just now starting to get some Pac-12 interest.

- Lorenzo Henderson, DE, 6-3, 212 pounds – Another end with good athleticism, Henderson is a name to watch for the 2012 season.

- Ian Hardman, Pro, 6-5, 215 pounds – A quarterback with college size, Hardman will be asked to do big things in 2012.

- Josh Turnage, OT, 6-6, 360 pounds – A massive bodied prospect, Turnage has yet to reach his potential.

- Braxton Falealili, OT, 6-7, 320 pounds (Class of 2015) – A name to remember for the future, Falealili already has elite size and he’s only going to be a sophomore.

- Kyren Jackson, RB, 5-9, 165 pounds (Class of 2015) – Coach David Dunn things that Jackson has a chance to be special.