OP, timing is everything in this process. Our S10 wouldn’t talk to us about college apps until fall of his senior year. In retrospect, it may have been that he wasn’t ready to put himself out there for possible rejection. And what he didn’t want was all the chatter from us parents. It was probably putting more pressure on him.
He was fortunate to have a wonderful teacher who guided S and his classmates through the process. Maybe there’s such a teacher or program at your S’s school?