UGA coach Mark Richt couldn't make the in-home visit with one of his top remaining targets and sent two Bulldogs assistants in his place on Saturday night.

Josh Dawson, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound defensive end from Tucker High School, is committed to Vanderbilt but considering switching to UGA. He got a call from Richt on Saturday afternoon that he couldn't make the 7 p.m. meeting with Dawson and his family.

Mark Richt sends a pair of UGA assisants to meet with recruit in his place (AP)

"Coach Richt said he couldn't make it because he had a family emergency," Dawson told the AJC. "I know family comes first, so I wasn't disappointed about it. We understood. It was OK."

Instead of Richt, Dawson sat down for nearly three hours with a pair of assistants, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner. Dawson said Grantham did most of the talking.

"He talked about how he could use me, putting me in different areas and positions on defense," Dawson said. "He told me how freshman can come in and play. Overall, I think the visit went very well. I think my parents enjoyed it. They had all of their questions that they needed to be answered that weren't on my official visit to Georgia."

Dawson said Richt's absence from the in-home visit won't affect his consideration of UGA. They are scheduled to talk over the phone on Sunday or Monday.

Which way is Dawson leaning? Will it be UGA or Vanderbilt? "It's still 50/50 between two right now," he said. "I'd probably say I'm still in the same place. I know I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking today and tomorrow. Hopefully, I will have my mind set on Tuesday and tell everybody on Wednesday."

Dawson said his final decision will be revealed when he signs at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Tucker High School.

• What's in UGA's favor? "Playing close to home in front of family and friends, and the history of winning at Georgia."
• What about Vanderbilt? "It's a great education, and they have a pretty good recruiting class coming in."

BREAKING: The recruiting drama of JaQuay Williams, the state's No. 1 prospect at WR, has taken another surprising twist. Guess where he went this weekend? And is it good news for UGA or Auburn? (Click on story link)

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