If a five star player is really interested, they aren't going to turn them away. I think his idea is to not chase a pipe dream all throughout the process for a guy who is a high risk not to last with the program. The opportunity cost of not pursuing other players, or turning down players while holding a scholarship till the last minute for the star, could be too much for Kelly, given the return on investment.
But, then you wonder if he would have gone through the trouble Weis did for someone like Manti. His philosophy being what it is, he's put a larger premium on the coaching these guys are going to get, because against teams like USC, or Florida State, those teams will have more talent on the field. Successful against USC last year, not so against Miami. Or Georgia. We'll see.