Short comment on leadership.
When someone says "leadership" to a high school kid, and, frankly, to many of their parents, people often think of top-of-the-mind examples like team captain, president of this or that extracurricular group, etc. Those are all great examples, but they are NOT the only examples, and I suspect that kids leave chips on the table because they can't point to something obvious like one of those examples. An example that I like to use, and I'm relatively certain it has worked, is being the oldest (or not even the oldest, but an older) sibling, particularly in a family with a more than usual number of kids. That can entail significant leadership experience over a spectrum of activities, but you have to volunteer it and explain it for it to count.
I'm certain there are other examples, also. But the key is to think about it and talk about it beforehand so that you can address it in your applications and interviews.
All of that said, if your son doesn't get a national award, tell him not to quit. He clearly has the smarts and athletic ability to do just fine. Go to campus, join the unit, and tell him to be the example for his classmates. They'll be lucky to have him.