Three years before they reunited on the Oregon football team, Ty Griffin quarterbacked one of the most prolific high school teams in Georgia, and handed the ball off to his little brother Taj, the starting running back.

Just like the Ducks, McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, ran the zone read, a spread-option offense in which the running back crosses paths with the quarterback after the snap. The quarterback then chooses either to hand the ball off to the running back or hang on to it, depending on his reading of the defense.

The brothers only ran into one problem: sharing.

“We could never get Ty to hand Taj the ball,” their father Herb Griffin said. “He would leave Taj standing in the backfield jumping up and down, like, ‘Give me the ball!’”

Off the field, Taj, Ty and their eldest brother, Tre, a defensive end for Georgia Southern, argued over which TV channel to watch, who would shower first or eat the bigger piece of chicken.

Ty Griffin (10) played quarterback during Oregon’s spring game on May 2, but eventually switched to cornerback. (Emerald Archives)

Their fraternal competition was also pronounced on the virtual field; bragging rights were won and lost over games of Madden on Xbox. Taj played the most so, like any brother would, Ty composed a song about his brother’s passion for video games and submitted it for a school-wide project. His song, entitled “I Wonder Why Taj Loves Xbox,” won second place in the music category.

Sibling rivalry challenged Taj at times, but their mother Tamiko Griffin said it “elevated Taj as a person.” One year, when they were young, the brothers got new bikes, but Taj’s was a kiddie bike.

“He didn’t want that,” Tamiko said, because it wasn’t equipped to keep up with the other boys’ bikes. Nevertheless, Taj pedaled in overdrive to maintain pace.

“He’s had to go extra hard his whole life to keep up with his brothers,” Tamiko said.

Taj’s motivation paid off. He was immediately noticeable the day he started playing football. While he was in high school, 247Sports rated him the No. 1 all-purpose back in the country. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds and recorded a 45-inch vertical leap.

For as long as Tamiko can remember, Taj showed great interest in the Ducks. So when Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich recruited him, Taj jumped on the opportunity.

“Taj has shown a ton of flashes,” Helfrich said. “He’s got great natural physicality for a really fast guy. That’s not always the case.”

When Taj tore his ACL during his senior year of high school, Helfrich called him to assure he was still a high-priority recruit for Oregon and he would not lose his scholarship.

The injury happened during the season opener of Taj’s senior year. As part of the punt coverage team, Griffin tried planting his foot to make a tackle, but he heard his knee pop and immediately knew the severity of the injury. He had already rushed for three touchdowns in the first quarter alone.

“I felt the pain and I’d never felt anything like it before,” Taj said. “It definitely changed things for me.”

Out for his high school’s 2014 season, Taj started rehabilitating his knee right away.

He graduated high school early to facilitate his enrollment at Oregon in January, where he would once again team up with his brother. He started running routes and participating in 7-on-7 drills last spring. Originally worried that he would lose his speed, Taj said he’s recovered 100 percent.

The Oregon freshman doesn’t appear to have lost a step. Taj made his collegiate debut in Oregon’s season opener against Eastern Washington and broke off for a 61-yard gain on one of his three carries.

Before Taj received national recognition on the gridiron, Ty was redshirting as a quarterback during his freshman season at Georgia Tech in 2013. The Yellow Jackets ran the triple-option, an offense Ty was not fond of.

“I was open-minded about it at first, but when I tried it out I didn’t really like it,” Ty said. “I just felt it was in my best interest to try to get into something different.”

While being recruited, Taj told the coaching staff at Oregon to check out his brother’s film. The coaches were impressed, but weren’t allowed to talk to him until he was released from his scholarship at Georgia Tech. Ty asked for his release – which Georgia Tech granted. Oregon quickly signed him.

Ty spent the 2014 season commanding the scout team at quarterback and grasping the offense. One of his most pivotal roles during the season came when he played as a surrogate for Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston during pre-Rose Bowl practices for Oregon’s game against the Seminoles.

Ty, now a redshirt sophomore, made his debut for the Ducks this season at cornerback, a position he’d never played before.

In 2015, the competition to replace Marcus Mariota at quarterback thickened when Vernon Adams Jr. transferred to Oregon. Essentially two seasons removed from football, Ty made the switch to cornerback.

“It was initially my decision,” Ty said. “Vernon came in and everyone’s reps were getting cut down. It’s my third year, so I was really just trying to get on the field and help out the team this year in that capacity.”

“I think it’s a great move for him,” Helfrich said. “He’s electric fast. That would be his fastest path to the field.”

Ty recorded his first tackle, pass break-up and deflection in Oregon’s win over Georgia State on Sept. 19. In the same game, Taj scored his first career touchdown on a pitch from Bralon Addison in the third quarter.

The Griffin family watched the Oregon game from Buffalo Wild Wings in Georgia, after they attended Tre’s game live at Georgia Southern. When Taj scored, his grandfather ran around the restaurant grabbing people and telling them that his grandson scored his first collegiate touchdown.

“It was pretty embarrassing, but it was a proud moment for the family,” Tamiko said.

Follow Kenny Jacoby on Twitter: @KennyJacoby