If you find yourself frustrated over Crystal Ball Predictions, prospects perceived to be trending away from Notre Dame, and top-end recruits stalling on visit plans, it would be smart to remember that it’s March 15, 2019.

We’re about five weeks removed from National Signing Day and two weeks ahead of early official visits kicking off.

For context, let’s look back at last March.

The following were facts on this date last year (March 15, 2018): The Crystal Ball Forecast was trending toward Texas for Nana Osafo-Mensah, no one had heard of Walter Rouse, Aeneas DiCosmo hadn’t been offered by Notre Dame, and neither had Asa Turner.

In fact, Cade McNamara was Notre Dame’s quarterback commit while on this exact day of 2018, an on-the-market Kyle Hamilton received a ranking boost from No. 1156 to No. 946 overall nationally.

At cornerback, Isaiah Rutherford was an afterthought compared to Julian Barnett, Kenyatta Watson, and Salim Turner-Muhammad. And Isaiah Foskey was perceived to be a longshot tight end prospect.

Of Notre Dame’s 22 signees, eight of those athletes didn’t hold an offer from Notre Dame last March 15, including Andrew Kristofic (offered on Mar. 27), Jack Kiser (May 7), Jay Bramblett (May 26), Howard Cross (Apr. 3), JD Bertrand (committed to Georgia four months later), Marist Liufau (who held offers from only Hawaii, Utah, and Utah State at the time), Brendon Clark (June 6), and Cam Hart (June 2).

In fact, if you’d mentioned some of the above-listed names, many Irish fans wouldn’t have heard of some (of many) of them.

True on March 15, 2017: George Takacs was in Wisconsin on an unofficial visit, Lawrence Keys was considered a longshot while predicted by many to LSU. Many predicted Dallas Gant to Notre Dame where he would visit five weeks later, and Jayson Oweh was unknown nationally.

As far as the athletes who signed in the 2018 class, 11 did not hold offers on March 15, 2017.

Offensively: Jarrett Patterson (offered on Jan. 9, 2018), Tommy Tremble (May 3), Jahmir Smith (Apr. 4) Luke Jones (Oct. 21), Joe Wilkins (May 16), and C’Bo Flemister (Jan. 23) weren’t on the offer board.

On defense: Jack Lamb (Apr. 18), TaRiq Bracy (May 24), Noah Boykin (Nov. 29), DJ Brown (Nov. 29), Ja'Mion Franklin (Mar. 24), and Paul Moala (June 10) did not hold offers.

It’s also worth mentioning that Notre Dame flipped two of its highest-rated 2018 signees late in the process, Braden Lenzy and Houston Griffith – moves in which no one predicted.

The point is, history has proven that over-analysis of prospects who have yet to visit Notre Dame, and/or other schools among their official or perceived top schools list, in March could be considered a waste of energy.

This, you can be sure of: athletes not currently on the offer board will sign with Notre Dame in 2020, and it will likely be several.

Will an athlete not currently offered by Notre Dame rise to four-star status, get offers from and visit Clemson, Michigan, and Ohio State before committing to Notre Dame later this year? Then earn an invite to the All-American Bowl?

Maybe. Maybe not. But that same scenario played out last year – Andrew Kristofic.

It’s early, folks. Notre Dame holds five commitments which could prove to be one-quarter of the class just five weeks into the recruiting season.