Freeze-frame that telecast of ESPN College Football GameDay, the one from last October, set in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Zoom in on the mosh pit of Southern California football fans, right there, to that tall skinny guy who's there to cheer for his high school bud, Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart, the eventual Heisman Trophy winner.

"Yep, I was in there," said Colt Brennan, now a University of Hawai'i quarterback. "I got up at 7 in the morning, and I went over to tailgate. They had College GameDay there, and I was in the background."

It was symbolic of a friendship in which Brennan has been in the shadows, the wind beneath the left wing of the nation's best quarterback. But fast-forward to this weekend, when Brennan and Leinart will be on equal FieldTurf, opposing quarterbacks when UH hosts top-ranked USC.

"We used to joke in high school about playing against each other in college," Leinart said. "Who would have thought that I'd get a chance to play against him in Hawai'i? It's awesome to see him doing well, and I'm very proud of him."

It was in 2000, when the O.C. was their home and not a television show, that Leinart and Brennan were the best of friends. Leinart was Mater Dei High's nationally honored quarterback; Brennan, a year younger, was his understudy.

"Colt had a chance to learn from Matt," said Dave Money, Mater Dei's offensive coordinator. "They were good friends. They always came in with a great attitude. They always wanted to learn. It paid off for Matt, and now it's paying off for Colt."

Leinart signed with USC, redshirted as a freshman in 2001, then served as Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer's backup. "It wasn't easy for him, at first," Brennan said.

Leinart ascended to starter in 2003, leading the Trojans to the national championship. Last year, he came up with a hana hou, punctuated by the Trojans' 55-19 rout of Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

"I'm really excited about all of the things he's done," Brennan said.

Brennan had a breakout senior season at Mater Dei, then attended a prep school on the East Coast. His options were limited, but following an unofficial visit to USC — where Leinart served as his host — he was invited to join as a non-scholarship player.

"I was thinking about it, but Matt was there, and I didn't want to go where Matt was," Brennan said. "I like the guy, but I knew where I stood (in comparison) in high school, and I wanted to go off and do something on my own. I wanted to grow up, maybe meet him one day, and play against him one day."

After a year at Colorado and another in junior college, Brennan joined UH last month.

Both players have had limited contact in recent years, although Brennan attended the ESPN game between USC and California last October. Brennan, several other Mater Dei alumni and singer Nick Lachay joined the Leinart family's tailgate. "After the game, I hung out with Matt," Brennan said. "We had a good little time. ... Obviously, he's on top of the world, and he plans on staying there."

Brennan recalled when he was struggling for practice time at Colorado, he was told by Leinart, "The guy who is going to play is the guy who makes the best decisions. He said when you learn that, you'll be the guy."

Brennan and Tyler Graunke are expected to split time against USC.

Last week, Leinart called Brennan. "We used to be best friends in high school, but we went to different schools and started our own separate paths. But I've followed his career and kept him in mind through ups and down, and to see him playing again is great."

Money said: "It will be a privilege to see these two ex-teammates go out there and throw the rock around the yard, and they'll throw it a lot. I'm proud of both of them."

WARRIORS ONE ON ONE

Like jigsaw puzzle solutions, piecing together a defensive secondary begins with the corners. Injuries and circumstances resulted in cornerbacks Keao Monteilh and Ryan Keomaka playing on the first team the past two weeks.

KEAO MONTEILH

Hometown: Honolulu.

High school: Saint Louis School.

Height: 5-11.

Weight: 175 pounds.

Bench press: 225 pounds 10 times.

Maximum bench: 285 pounds.

40 time: "4.4 (seconds)? 4.5? 5.0? I don't know my 40."

Non-football talent: "Sleeping. And I can play a little basketball, a little something. I've got little skills here and there. I can dunk on 8-foot rims."

Favorite West O'ahu player: "Vonn Fe'ao. It's the face. He's got the face."

Public or private school: "Private, of course. We've got the athletics and the academics and the girls (from Saint Louis' sister schools)."

Famous relative: "Nobody famous."

Long hair or short hair: "Short, so I'm not mistaken for a girl."

RYAN KEOMAKA

Hometown: Honolulu.

High school: Roosevelt High School.

Height: 5-10.

Weight: 168 pounds.

Bench press: 225 pounds 12 times.

Maximum bench: 285 pounds.

40 time: "4.4 (seconds), with one arm. I had surgery on my (left) arm, and I was running with one arm swinging.

Non-football talent: "Singing. I annoy all of the guys in the locker room, like Lamar (Broadway) and Samson (Satele). They tell me to 'shut up.' "

Favorite West O'ahu player: "The first baseman (Layson Aliviado). He's sick. He's just good. He's really good."

Public or private school: "Public, because I came from a public school. And it's co-ed, not like Saint Louis."

Famous relative: Brother-in-law is Chad Owens, former UH receiver/returner now with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Long hair or short hair: "Long. All of the guys have short, buzzed faded hair. (Long hair) is something different, like dreads. It helps with the girls. They like to touch it and braid it. It's good interaction with the girls."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.