He was already told that he was in for day 3 by the producers. He was just an alternate on day 2 who happened to get on when someone else quit. It wasn't really a matter of waiting for a bigger spotlight, rather just making sure that he would be able to honor his commitment to play on day 3 and meet the required buyin, even if he busted on day 2.
Oh my, I feel dumb. I had it the other way around in my head.