Well, do remember that this board is going to produce a particular perspective on college because of the athletic component. The US has thousands of colleges and universities. Every state has some that the public supports (albeit to a small degree these days). If a student in the US works hard, gets good grades, and does reasonably well on standardized tests, putting in a range of applications at a variety of schools should net the student at least a little merit aid somewhere. Some folks in the US also limit their overall costs by starting out at what we call community colleges -- these are teaching-intensive institutions that generally offer only a few four-year degree options but provide packages of introductory and lower-level courses that fulfill basic requirements and end with an associate's degree. The student can either walk away with that (much cheaper) degree or transfer to a four-year college and receive a bachelor's from the four-year institution. Some of my best students have come to me from our local community college, though people contemplating this route should be aware that the best chances for four-year completion lie in starting at a four-year school, living on campus, and being in a small living-learning community as a first-year student.
Good colleges take care of student athletes and help them to be students first. We register them early, so they can get sections or offerings of large courses that fit with their practice schedules. By me, athletes have some extra help with advising, but we advise our own majors. My advisees take a lighter load during their competition seasons, and we backfill with an extra course during winter term (a four-week term in between fall and spring semester) or a summer course if winter doesn't work. We look to schedule the tough courses and capstones in the off season, and balance the schedule so that the student isn't taking several time-consuming courses simultaneously. Sometimes we can even find internships that work. The nice thing is that this holistic advising model that takes into account a student's entire life works well for all students, not just athletes.
My objection to early commitments is that there simply are so many options in the US that for most, it doesn't make sense to fall in love with one place before even beginning the application process. Falling in love with a place that early is usually about falling in love with an idea, not through real knowledge about the institution, its flavor, and its academic offerings. And for all but the tiniest handful of prospective students, there are likely several institutions out there that would be just fine.
There's so much unnecessary anxiety around college in the US and getting into and going to a "good" college. I am always saddened to see friends' children making decisions to borrow ridiculous amounts of money to attend a private school that is only marginally better, if better at all, than their public option. US News rankings do not tell the whole story, and most Research I universities and strong liberal arts colleges nowadays are loaded with astoundingly brilliant and accomplished faculty who've survived the toughest job market gauntlet in fifty years. What you want is to be at a school that has those faculty in the classroom teaching your kids. If they choose a school like that, they'll be fine.
US colleges and universities are still the best in the world, and if you open your eyes to possibilities rather than narrowing things down and worrying about one or two places, you may see wonderful things you never expected to find. Take a deep breath and keep that in mind as you prepare for the whirlwind!