Flores transferring from NCAA Division II Central Oklahoma to wrestle for Flames this fall
6/10/2025 1:23:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
The incoming sophomore, who is switching his major from business law to religious studies, competed behind an individual national champion the past two seasons for the nine-time NCAA Division II national champion Bronchos.
Sensing God's prompting to go into ministry rather than a career in law, Jose Flores, a junior 157-165-pound wrestler from the University of Central Oklahoma's NCAA Division II University program, will reclassify as a sophomore and transfer to Liberty University for the upcoming fall semester.
He reached out to us initially, said outgoing Head Coach Jesse Castro, who guided the Flames to five NCWA Grand National team championships in the past 10 seasons before retiring in July after 20 seasons at the helm. We flew him out on our budget, which is not something we often do, and he fell in love with the school, the team, and I think is a great fit.
Central Oklahoma has won nine national championships and had five runner-up finishes since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 1990. Most recently, the Bronchos were national team champions in 2023 and 2024, and Flores wrestled behind two-time individual national champion Gabe Johnson this past season.
Previously, Flores was a two-time Oklahoma state champion at Inola High School, where he finished third his senior year and completed his career with a 150-25 record.
Oklahoma is a pretty good state for wrestling, and he has NCAA experience, but more than anything else, it's his commitment to the Lord that makes him a good match for Liberty, Castro said. He's a very strong believer.
Coach Castro really emphasizes that you are more than wrestlers; you are followers of Christ, Flores added. I see God in many of my wrestling matches. Wrestling refines you just as wrestling in the spirit — wrestling God like Jacob did — refines you spiritually.
Flores came to Liberty by faith after seeing a vision of the Freedom Tower in a dream.
God called me to Liberty, called me to become a pastor, to enroll in (the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity) there, Flores said. I didn't know they had a wrestling team, but I ended up talking to Coach Castro for about the past six or seven months now. He flew me out, and I enjoyed the campus, everything the school had to offer, the coaches and the team. It's a big difference coming from UCO, where I spent two and a half years.
Flores has experienced major change in his worldview over the past year, and saw Liberty as the Promised Land where he was destined to complete his studies and wrestling career.
I went to UCO not necessarily following Christ, and God called me to a pastoral role, Flores said. I asked God, 'Where do You want me to go?' And He gave me an open-eyed vision about Liberty University. I even had a dream about my dead grandmother coming out of the Freedom Tower, and she told me I needed to focus on my academics. She was a saint. I held her hand as she died. After that, our whole family started coming to Jesus.
They started a home church earlier this spring, called the Five-Fold Flores Family Farms Ministry, based on Ephesians 4:11, where the Lord calls some to be apostles, others prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. It is also based on 1 Corinthians 12:28, which refers to the proper exercising of spiritual gifts that lead to a more excellent way of life.
Gifts are anointings from God, and Liberty University will help those gifts to be manifest, by being yoked together with fellow believers, growing, and lifting each other up, Flores said. I met a lot of the guys on the team, and we have fellowship. They are truly great guys. At Central Oklahoma, we don't have a ton of Christian fellowship, so when I went to Virginia, it was eye-opening.
On the first day of a College For A Weekend (CFAW), he attended a church-planting class held in the Freedom Tower, which serves as the home of the School of Divinity, the world's largest school for religious studies and ministerial training, and the Liberty University Theological Seminary.
The professor opened up with prayer, and I thought, 'What is this?' Flores said. It was awesome. UCO is a very liberal school, and speaking about my faith is kind of frowned upon there. Truly, Liberty was a change-up.
Flores expects 39 of his 62 credits to transfer from UCO to Liberty, where he plans to pursue a B.A. in Religious Studies — Bible and Theology, to learn the history of different views of Church doctrine and interpretation of the Word, and a minor in Biblical Languages, to understand original texts of the Scriptures written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
I haven't taken any theological classes that would help toward my degree yet, said Flores, who is currently serving as an intern at Sheridan Church in Tulsa, Okla. I am excited to hear and have conversations with people who challenge me and uplift me as I follow whatever God calls me to do.
He was encouraged by attending a Bible study led by Liberty's wrestling team.
That was awesome, Flores said. At UCO, you had to pull teeth to get wrestlers to attend the Bible studies. I am excited to meet very theologically influential people at Liberty. The body of Christ really carries a lot of the pieces of the puzzle and when it comes together, that completes the full picture, and the Church functions properly.
As excited as he is about growing spiritually and in wisdom and knowledge at Liberty, Flores is also looking forward to contributing athletically to the Flames' success on the wrestling mat. He currently helps coach a youth team in his hometown, mentoring wrestlers as athletes and believers on and off the mats.
I couldn't see my life without wrestling, Flores said. I love both (spiritual development and sport) and want to keep that balance, going out there and having fun while doing it all for Christ.
He plans to live by himself in off-campus housing this fall.
I really like my secret place with God because it forces me to go to Him, Flores said. It is good to put yourself in situations where you can only depend on God.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
Â