Several folks have reported that as this past year went on, coaches started asking for the SAT as part of the pre read.
If he can, take the test in Nov AND December. Almost everyone benefits from a second attempt (either from jitters or just a superscore). I also believe in “the devil you know” - the digital SAT will still be there in the Spring if needed, but it’s nice if you get to cross it off your list. It’s nice for non athletes too. Jr year is stressful enough and it can be a confident booster going into the college process.