I'd go where he can do the major of his choice. Do well, prove your self, then transfer if you think you'll be better served elsewhere.

College is what you make it.

I had similar profile out of high school, I didn't get accepted to my first choice engineering.

I went to a less prestigious state school, did the honors college there, did well there with my GPA, worked in research labs, and was officer in student SAE (an engineering club). I applied to grad schools and got accepted everywhere and took a full ride scholarship for my Masters Degree at Texas A&M working as a grad assistant. So it all worked out.

I had one professor, the one I worked for in his lab, encouraging me to apply to MIT. I didn't because I didn't feel I'd be a cultural fit there and didn't want to live in a cold area. Maybe to some extent I also never saw myself as MIT material, but being older and wiser now, I should have applied and explored the possibilities there and visited like I did the other schools I was considering.

I believe college is what you make it.

You make the university, the university doesn't make you. I think that's the mindset students should have.

I have one friend who started a Fraternity at his university. That's how you shape your university and your own education.

My less prestigious undergrad hasn't held me back because I still went out and pursued what I wanted, which is engineering cool stuff. And then did grad school at A&M.

Why is he business at OU? but geology at A&M?

He should go where he can start on his major of choice, do awesome things, then transfer or keep doing awesome things where he is.

Doing what you genuinely enjoy and excites you is much more valuable than doing something you're not excited about. No matter who you work for or what university you attend.